The Isle of the Buried Shine

Lyrics

[Verse 1] At dawn we found a cedar chest Half-buried by the quay A brass-marked map, a broken clasp And one red X to see The gulls flew hard above the mast The tide pulled out to sea So raise the sail and leave the land The hoard is meant for me [Chorus] Haul away, haul away, follow the crooked line Past the reef where the white waves break To the isle of the buried shine Haul away, haul away, fortune or foolery With a compass, a cutlass, and courage enough We’ll bring that treasure home from the sea [Verse 2] We crossed a field of boiling foam With thunder in the west A scarlet parrot cried three times And pointed toward the crest Beneath the cliff, a stone stair curled Through roots and rain-wet clay We counted down from seventeen And struck a hollow way [Chorus] Haul away, haul away, follow the crooked line Past the reef where the white waves break To the isle of the buried shine Haul away, haul away, fortune or foolery With a compass, a cutlass, and courage enough We’ll bring that treasure home from the sea [Bridge] The cave mouth breathed like winter wind The torch burned green and thin A silver key, a sailor’s oath A door with no door-hinge in We turned the key, the mountain groaned The old stones split apart Inside lay crowns and amber cups And a letter from a heart [Verse 3] It read, “No gold can buy the years You spent beneath the sun Share this chest with every soul Who helped the voyage run” So we took one coin, we freed the chain We left the rest below For wealth is small beside the tales A faithful crew can know [Final Chorus] Haul away, haul away, follow the crooked line Past the reef where the white waves break To the isle of the buried shine Haul away, haul away, fortune or foolery With a compass, a cutlass, and courage enough We’ll bring our story home from the sea [Outro] When another map finds another hand And the moon hangs clear and bright Remember the crew who chased the mark And sailed by lantern light