Home, Dear, Home is unquestionably one of the most beautiful of all our British Columbia folksongs. It was written by John Lyon of North Vancouver and we are extremely happy to be able to present his recording of it, together with some notes that he added:

Duration: 5 min. 20 sec.

Back in 1991 John wrote:

“I adapted the song Home, Dear, Home from a similar tune I learned from Tim Hall of Seattle. His version is more along the lines of “Home, Boys, Home”, a traditional song from the British Isles wherein sailors who have travelled the world look forward to returning to port after many months—or years—away at sea. But Tim’s version adds the charming theme of the singer—a sea captain—receiving a letter from his wife telling him of the birth of their child. I kept the tune but rewrote the lyrics in honour of my father’s eighty-fifth birthday.”

Lyrics:

1. Port Hardy is a fine town, with ships about the bay,
Ain’t it very plain to be there myself today,
I’m wishing in my heart that I was far away from here,
Sitting in my kitchen, and talking with my dear.

Chorus
And it’s home, dear, home, home I want to be,
Engine is running smooth, and I am out to sea,
The whistle buoy is moaning but I’m safe across the bar,
Down Goletas Channel I can see the morning star,
And it’s home, dear, home.

2. Oh the fishing it’s been grand, and I really made it pay,
But a message came by radio to the boats in Fisherman’s Bay,
There’s someone here, she says, you’ve been waiting long to see,
Those hazel roving eyes are looking out upon my knee.

3. But the message didn’t say if it was a boy or girl,
It’s got me all confused now, my thoughts are all a-whirl,
I’ll fuel up in Bull Harbour and I’ll turn this boat around,
Down Goletas Channel I will be Port Hardy bound,

4. If it be a girl, so precious she will be,
We’ll name the birds that fly and she can come and see with me,
If it be a boy, then a troller he will be,
Standing in the cockpit, pulling fish with me,

5. Listen to the wind, it comes piping from the west,
Of all the winds that blow, it’s the one I love the best,
It’s blowing across my stern, and the tide is now with me,
To quickly take me back to my home in Port Hardy,

Some other recordings of the song:
Fraser Union — BC Songbook
Fraser Union — From There To Here
Full Circle — Roll On Clouds
Sassenach Rebellion — Come Back Here