Lost Forever

“Lost Forever” is a dark and haunting historical sea shanty written by Rickey Phipps, telling the story of the catastrophic Great Storm of 1703, one of the deadliest storms ever to strike Britain. In November 1703, a violent storm swept across the English Channel, the Goodwin Sands, and the southern coast of England. Royal Navy ships were torn from their anchors, merchant vessels were wrecked, and thousands of sailors and civilians lost their lives. Among the naval disasters was the destruction of ships of the line, including HMS Association and HMS St George. The storm also destroyed the famous Eddystone Lighthouse and left devastation across the coast. This song remembers the sailors who vanished beneath the waves and the terrible night when the sea seemed to swallow everything in its path. I wrote “Lost Forever” as a maritime memorial to those who faced the storm with nowhere to run and no way to escape. The song carries the voice of the old sailor, grim, mournful, and respectful of the men who went down with their ships. LOST FOREVER Written By: Rickey Phipps (Verse 1) The sky turned black off the coast of Kent, The barometer dropped and the rigging bent. November late in Seventeen-Three, The Devil came down on the narrow sea. From the English Channel to the Goodwin Sands, No soul was safe in the King’s own lands. (Refrain) O, drag 'em down, down into the deep, Where fifteen thousand quiet sleep. The wind blew cold, the gale blew wild, It spared no ship, nor man, nor child. (Verse 2) Thirteen strong ships of the Line fell through, With two thousand tars of the Navy Blue. Torn from their anchors and smashed on the shore, Their timber and bone to be seen no more. The Association roared, the St. George groaned, As the ocean claimed what the Crown had owned. (Refrain) O, drag 'em down, down into the deep, Where fifteen thousand quiet sleep. The wind blew cold, the gale blew wild, It spared no ship, nor man, nor child. (Verse 3) Three hundred hulls in the surging bay, Swept out to the dark before break of day. The Eddystone light was ripped away, And the sea took lives like a beast with prey. No stars above, no compass light, Just the scream of the gale on a winter’s night. (Bridge) The Goodwin Sands are a hungry grave, They drink the deck and they swallow the wave. A navy lost in a single breath, As Queen Anne’s fleet met the hands of Death. (Verse 4) So listen, ye sailors, when night falls black, And the winds blow high from the storm’s dark track. Remember the night when the Channel bled, And the ocean claimed ten thousand dead. (Outro) Down in the dark... where the sea-monsters lie... Seventeen-Three... under November’s sky... May God have mercy... on the souls at sea... Lost forever in Seventeen-Three. The Drunken Sailor’s Songbook brings you historical sea shanties, maritime ballads, sailor songs, pirate songs, and stories inspired by the men and women who lived, worked, fought, and sometimes died upon the sea. If you enjoy traditional sea shanties, historical maritime songs, pirate ballads, nautical folk music, and songs based on real events, subscribe to The Drunken Sailor’s Songbook and join us for another voyage into the past. Written by Rickey Phipps #LostForever #RickeyPhipps #SeaShanty #SeaShanties #MaritimeMusic #HistoricalSong #GreatStormOf1703 #1703Storm #EnglishChannel #GoodwinSands #RoyalNavy #SailorSong #NauticalMusic #PirateSongs #MaritimeHistory #HistoricSongs #TheDrunkenSailorsSongbook #SeaSongs #SailingSongs #OceanSongs