The 99th Voyage Of The S.s Yongala lyrics by Phil Hird
Lyrics & Midi Informationwww.midi.com.au
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Song Title * The 99th Voyage Of The S.S Yongala
Performed By * Phil Hird
Composer(s) * Phil Hird
Publisher * . Unauthorised copying is illegal
Programmer * � Bespoke Music
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* Intro On the 14th of March back in 1911,
All the loading had been done.
The Yongala left Melbourne bound for Cairns.
Her last voyage had begun.
* Verse 1 Captain Knight, an experienced man
Knew the course like the back of his hand.
How could he know what was in store
And what Mother Nature had planned?
The journey to Sydney and Brisbane was smooth.
But bad reports came from the North.
She left for Mackay on the 21st
After taking on Moonshine, the horse.
The new arrivals all spoke of the storms
That brought havoc to ???? and Cairns.
The Captain appeared a confident man
As he calmed many passengers' fears.
She birthed at Mackay and some hours were spent
'Til the freight for the North was stored.
She left at 1:40 on the 23rd
With two more souls aboard.
* Chorus God bless S.S Yongala
And all who have sailed in her too.
No-one, it seems, could, in their wildest dreams,
See what fate had in store for you.
* Verse 2 Bound for Townsville and their loved ones
208 miles away.
The 121 people on board
Wouldn't live to see the light of day.
As she steamed past the Death Island lighthouse,
Dinner was just being served.
The conversation around the tables
Was on how the weather was worse.
With no radio or lights to guide him along,
The Captain steered into the gloom.
Other ships nearby were now sheltering
The Yongala sailed on to her doom.
What happened after Death Island, it seems,
Is really not at all clear,
But the wind and the rain and seas they endured
Must've filled every heart with fear.
* Repeat chorus
* Verse 3 With her sister ship anchored just 80 miles east,
The Yongala gave up the fray.
The wind from the cyclone masked all the screams
As the waves devoured their prey.
Not one person survived the ordeal
As she sank like a stone to the bottom.
A secret she'd keep 'til the end of time,
She was gone but never forgotten.
In Townsville, the families all waited for news,
Unaware of Yongala's demise.
As other ships arrived that left after her,
Anxiety began to rise.
A massive search on land and at sea
Failed to find any trace of life.
From Bowan to Rolling Stone and out to the Palms,
The air could be cut with a knife.
* Repeat chorus
* Verse 4 Worse fears were confirmed in the next few days
When items were washed ashore.
News spread like wildfire of the ship's fate
When a sign appeared from her door.
The Governor donated to the Lod Mayor's fund
To help all the people in grief,
Hoping to find that in a small way
It'll be for some a relief.
An inquiry found the ship not at fault.
Captain Knight would shoulder no blame.
"Did she roll?", "Was she swamped?", "Did she hit Nari's rock?"
Were questions all asked in vain.
??????????????????????
On which route did she go?
With no-one alive and the wreck still not found,
It's something we'll never know.
Now the years have gone by since that terrible night.
Still, the search went on for the wreck.
47 years later, Yongala was found
By a man named Bill Kirkpatrick.
Today, she lies just up ???? Bowling Green
A shrine to all those who died.
Tha corals and fish that have made her their home
Are a wonderful sight in a dive.
* Repeat chorus
* Repeat last two lines of chorus for outro
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Time * 6:20
Length * 100 bars
Tempo * 62.5 bpm
Key * C major in intro, D major in verse 1, 2nd verse and chorus in E flat major, 3rd verse
and chorus in E major, 4th verse and last chorus in F major
Ch 1 * Steel-String Guitar (Rhythm)
Ch 2 * Fingered Bass
Ch 3 * Steel-String Guitar (Lead)
Ch 4 * Synth Strings 1
Ch 5 * Warm Pad
Ch 6 * Bowed Glass
Ch 10 * Drums
