In Port Mahon, I went down to the harbour
A tall ship from England, came up to the quay
I fell in love with a young English sailor
But he only laughed as he whispered to me:

From Port Mahon I'll soon be gone
Laughing or weeping, the world will go on.

To Port Mahon came the orders one morning
To haul up the anchor, and not to delay
And so the tall ships sailed out of the harbour
But still in my heart I could hear my love say:

From Port Mahon I'll soon be gone
Laughing or weeping, the world will go on.

To Port Mahon came the news of a battle
But never oh never, a letter for me
And many a tall ship came back to the harbour,
But never the one that I waited to see,

The years passed by, and I married another
And many's the woman who'd like to be me
But sometimes I lie on my bed and I listen
To the sound of the wind, and the sound of the sea
And remember the sailor who whispered to me:

From Port Mahon I'll soon be gone
Laughing or weeping, the world will go on.

[Learnt by Joy and Eric from Nadia Cattouse. Composed by Sydney Carter in about 1960 for Nadia Cattouse, sung by her accompanied by Steve Benbow.]