Fishermen's Protective Union - Song

Song

The original anthem of the Fishermens Protective Union was titled "We are Coming Mr. Coaker" which was sung or chanted at FPU meetings to show support for Coaker and his movement to unite the fishermen. The author of the work is unknown. The source of the tune has been identified as the American Civil War song "We Are Coming, Father Abraham, Three Hundred Thousand More", a call to arms written in 1862 by James Sloan Gibbons.

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, from the East, West, North and South;

You have called us and we're coming, for to put our foes to rout.

By merchants and by governments, too long we've been misruled;

We're determined now in future, and no longer we'll be fooled.

We'll be brothers all and free men, we'll be brothers all and free men,

We'll be brothers all and free men, and we'll rightify each wrong;

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, we are coming, Mr. Coaker,

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, and we're forty thousand strong.

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, men from Green Bay's rocky shore,

Men who stand the snow-white billows down on stormy Labrador.

We are ready and awaiting, strong and solid, firm and bold,

To be led by you like Moses led the Israelites of old.

We are ready for to sever, we are ready for to sever,

We are ready for to sever, from the merchants' servile throng;

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, we are coming, Mr. Coaker,

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, and we're forty thousand strong.

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, blood of Saxon and of Celt,

You arouse a feeling in us, that before we never felt;

Valiant men from far Placentia, who the angry oceans brave,

They are with you heart and spirit, breasting Cape St. Mary's waves.

They are with the fight for freedom, they are with the fight for freedom,

They are with the fight for freedom, and the Union is their song;

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, we are coming, Mr. Coaker,

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, and we're forty thousand strong.

An additional verse was added to the song during the 1990s when Port Union was being brushed up to be a heritage site.

We're still people, Mr. Coaker, with a spirit strong and true;

We will follow in your footsteps, and we know just what to do.

We'll rebuild the town you dreamed of, and we will not back away;

For we're looking to our future, that began just yesterday.

Will we perish? We'll say NEVER! Will we perish? We'll say NEVER!

Will we perish? We'll say NEVER! Port Union's here to stay;

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, we are coming, Mr. Coaker,

We are coming, Mr. Coaker, and we're forty thousand strong.