When this world was younger, I fished the ocean sae deep and wide But noo these days are flotsam and washed up wi' the tide I sit hame starin' at the fire, too young tae gledly be retired And mind on a' they guid days before we had tae say Chorus: Fareweel ye silver darlin's Nae mair we'll trawl those North Sea shoals We left the auld girl in the harbour Nae mair tae feel the ocean's roll. My faither worked the trawlers, his auld man did the very same For a' the fowk in this toon the fishin' was their game A way of life grew auld and grey, the young move oot or waste away They've never kenned the guid days before we had tae say Chorus When this world was younger, the hale toon worked on this empty quay The fleet streetched oot afore me as faur as I could see Noo at the harbour I maun staun, and count the ships on baith my hauns And mind on a' they guid days before we had tae say Chorus Aye noo the harbour's empty, like a' the poackets in this auld toon The government will help ye, aye we'll a' flee tae the moon And noo the streets in front o' me are deid just like the very sea What happened tae the guid days before we had tae say Chorus There's rules and regulations and laws that naebody understands They're fishing here frae a'place but we must bide on land Some o' us still earn a crust while other boats just turn tae rust And mind on a' they guid days before we had tae say Chorus