Northern Shore - Susanna Shore Lyrics

My name is Shore, though I work the land
That my Father gave me with his own hand
That my father gave me as he went to war
For to help the King, and was seen no more
And he left me sisters, but brothers none
For our mother gave him no strapping son
So the earth is tilled by the maids she bore
My sisters three and Susanna Shore

I had a sweetheart who courted me
And the finest lad in the whole country
And we made our promise just a month before
The King decided to go to war
And my darling boy took the coin of blood
And I begged and pleaded, but it did no good
For he had the shilling, but to me he swore
"I will yet return to Susanna Shore"

And the war went well, and the war was won
But it seems that fighting is never done
And from my sweet love there was not one word
"He is not reported" was all I heard
So my heart grew tired, and my hope grew faint
And I knew him dead through my weary wait
And I spilled my tears for the words he swore
"I will come back to my Susanna Shore"

On an Autumn day, when the wind blew keen
Came a sergeant clad in his coat of green
He stepped so weary to my own front door
And I knew at once what his message bore
"You can keep your sorrow on this dark day
"I have mourned full well since he went away
"Now that you have come, I can mourn no more
"He will not return to Susanna Shore"

But the sergeant wept and he caught my hand
Not a word he spoke, he could barely stand
And my heart grew faint as at last I saw
My darling boy safely home from war
"Can you forgive me?" at last he said
"A foolish man that you thought was dead
"I have returned and I'll fight no more
"I have come back to Susanna Shore"

So here I stand on my wedding day
The black of mourning is put away
I will wear white and I will wear joy
As I am wed to my lovely boy
Come one, come all, raise your spirits high
This very night in his arms I'll lie
I'll leave the name that I knew before
This is my last as Susanna Shore

Come one, come all, raise your glasses high
This very night in his arms I'll lie
I'll leave the name that I knew before
This is my last as Susanna Shore