Northern Numbers

Intro - Low hum, shanty whistle

Mm-hmm

Mm-hmm

Way-oh

Way-oh

Verse 1

Cold hands on the rail at dawn

Salt stinging where the rope was drawn

I signed a deal with the harbor light

Twenty-one below on a northern night

Frost bit through my canvas coat

Wind got mean and stole my note

The boss man laughed and spat in the sea

Said boy you're gonna work for me

Pre-Chorus

Breakers slam

Timbers groan

Every mile I call my own

Chorus

Twenty-one below

Down where the engines churn

Twenty-one below

Every penny I had to learn

Verse 2

I packed my boots with newspaper

Packed my dreams in a sorry blur

The fish house stank of rust and lime

The clock hands froze at closing time

The old hands talk in twisted slang

About a boy who ran and sang

But I just pull my collar tight

And punch the clock till morning light

Pre-Chorus

Fire burns

Steel goes cold

That's the price for getting old

Chorus

Twenty-one below

Down where the engines churn

Twenty-one below

Every penny I had to learn

Bridge

The heating pipes they hiss and spit

The crew all swear they'll up and quit

But I stay steady through the freeze

A northern boy with northern knees

Final Chorus

Twenty-one below

Where the wind won't let you rest

Twenty-one below

Put the cold steel to the test