Time was that us Cornish Men were always underground
Our techniques and technologies, they all were world-renowned
But now we live in poverty, in hardship and in strife
And the world has come a calling to give us a better life
Each day another boat leaves, loaded up with Cousin Jacks
With a sense of great adventure and the wind upon our backs
We'll cast off from the harbour and we'll sail across the sound
To find a new life overseas, to find it underground
So close down the engine house and shut the tin mine gates
Leave your picks and shovels at the door
Cos when the wheels they stop turning
And Davey lamps stop burning
It's time to leave the sacred shore
The Cornish Man is in demand with places he can go
Some sail across to Chile some stop off in Callio
Some will go to Canada to mine the Rocky Bed
And with our picks and pasties the diaspora will spread
So close down the engine house and shut the tin mine gates
Leave your picks and shovels at the door
Cos when the wheels they stop turning
And Davey lamps stop burning
It's time to leave the sacred shore
I think I'll go to Leadville where the winter wind blows cold
I'll try my hand at copper and I'll try my luck at gold
One day I'll come home again with pockets full of charm
I'll walk the granite path and I'll buy back the family farm
So close down the engine house and shut the tin mine gates
Leave your picks and shovels at the door
Cos when the wheels they stop turning
And the Davey lamps stop burning
It's time to leave the sacred shore
This is not a song of sadness, although that's the way it seems
We'll always have our roots boys, we'll always have our dreams
In every corner of the world, you'll always hear the call
Geddon Boy! Right On!, Wass On!, Oll An Gwella, One & All
So close down the engine house and shut the tin mine gates
Leave your picks and shovels at the door
Cos when the wheels they stop turning
And Davey lamps stop burning
It's time to leave the sacred shore
And maybe in another life, we'll mine our ground again
The engine house will jump to life once more
While the world is still turning
And Cornish Hearts are burning
We'll always have our sacred shore