Way hey! Büsum Town!

Lyrics: Way hey! Büsum Town!

Way… hey… By the dikes where the hard winds blow, Where the cold grey tides run to and fro, By the lighthouse red and white, Stands old Büsum in the fading light. Way hey! Büsum Town! From the harbor lights to the tide run down, With a net full o’ shrimp and a mug o’ grog, Way hey! Haul away, boys, haul! From Büsum harbor at break of day, Where the cutters head for the open bay, With the gulls that cry and the rigging sings, And the salt wind cuts like a thousand stings. Way hey! Büsum Town! From the harbor lights to the tide run down, With a net full o’ shrimp and a mug o’ grog, Way hey! Haul away, boys, haul! Mmm… way hey… mmm… From Büsum men to the wide world’s end, Round every cape and through every bend, Still the tide runs deep in every soul, And the North Sea wind keeps its hold. Oh the nights run long and the grog runs dark, And every song bears Büsum’s mark, From the dikes to the old harbor stone, No matter how far—we’re not alone. Way hey! Büsum Town! From the North Sea wind to the wide world round, With a net full o’ shrimp and a mug o’ grog, Way hey! Haul away, boys, haul! Way hey! Büsum Town! From the harbor lights to the tide run down, With a net full o’ shrimp and a mug o’ grog, Way hey! Haul away, boys, haul! Büsum town…

About this song

This rousing sing-along folk sea shanty pays tribute to the tight-knit fishing community of Büsum, a small German North Sea coastal town. It features vivid lyrics referencing local harbor life, fishing cutters, dike landscapes, and classic traditional work-song structure with hearty, memorable choruses.

Comments (3)

• @germancowboy · Apr 10, 2026

  Danke. Ich habe ein Lied in meiner Muttersprache Plattdeutsch versucht, aber es gibt keine norddeutsche Stimme. 😥

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