G                   C        D        G
Well, it's not the hours of watch-on-watch,
G                 C           D       Em
And it's not the work that I mind so much,
        G                       C
Or the long cold miles from my lover's touch,
             G          Am   D
'Though for sure she's far away.
   G         C         D         G
No stranger, I, to the touch of steel,
        G      C        D       Em
Or the honest fear any man can feel,
       G               C
But I long for dust under my heels
       G              Am  
And a pocket full of pay
C       G             D      G
So I'll take it from day to day.

Verse 2:
G              C        D          G
The pack-ice 'round us cracks and groans;
G            C         D          Em
The old St. Roch, she creaks and moans.
     G          C
The icy fog is in my bones,
         G         Am   D
And the ache won't go away.
G          C        D        G
Outside I bet it's warm and fair.
G                 C       D     Em
I could have her fingers in my hair,
          G                   C
But it's long, cold miles to her out there
      G                  Am  
So I guess I'll have to stay
C         G            D      G
And just take it from day to day!

Chorus:
          D                  G       C
We're as far North now as I want to come,
     C               G
But Larsen's got us under his thumb,
    D                    G            C
And I signed up for the whole damned run,
  Am                  D
I can't get off half way.
         G      C     D       G
But when I get back unto the shore,
G          C           D        Em
I'm going South where it stays warm,
     G                   C
And there'll be someone on my arm
    G                Am
To help me spend my pay,
C        G            D      G
So I'll take it from day to day. 

(fiddle solo over same chords as verse) 

(repeat chorus)

(fiddle solo over first half of verse)
    G        C          D        G
No stranger, I, to the touch of steel
         G      C       D        Em
And the honest fear any man can feel,
       G               C
But I long for dust under my heels
       G              Am
And a pocket full of pay,
C        G            D      G
So I'll take it from day to day.