He came a long long way from Tiger Bay

On the wild wide sea to be free, free, free

He worked his daily fourteen hours below

And rarely saw the sunset or sunrise

He watched his little family try to grow

But he could see the sorrow in her eyes

He sold up nearly everything he owned

In the terraced house he rented from the mine

Said goodbye to all the friends he'd ever known

And sailed away in nineteen twenty-nine

He came a long long way from Tiger Bay

On the wild wide sea to be free, free, free

They huddled upon deck against the cold

Smiling through the tears they tried to hide

And they wondered what the future years would hold

As they headed for Toronto on the tide

A steelworks gave employment at the start

But what they found was worse than what they'd left

And with the dream of freedom burning in their hearts

September found them heading for the West

He came a long long way from Tiger Bay

On the wild wide sea to be free, free, free

At Calgary they saw the winter out

But the icy northern winds came thick and wild

And late one night he heard his lady shout

The time had come to have their precious child

He did his best to save the seed he'd sown

And soon he heard his baby's gentle cry

But the new life she had given cost her own

And he saw the love light dying in her eye

He came a long long way from Tiger Bay

On the wild wide sea to be free, free, free

The preacher's words made such a lonely sound

As they laid her body in the frozen clay

And the dreams they'd shared were buried underground

In the foothills of the Rockies far away

He came a long long way from Tiger Bay

On the wild wide sea to be free, free, free

Lyrics: Frank Hennessy