Tide Eats Away My Shoreline
Lyrics
Verse 1
Mi stap long middle lo Pacific
Long disfala chain of islands
From datwan sea hem save long mi
Since mi small, mi lukim tide
Hem kam antap, hem go daun
Kam antap, go daun again
My feet know the old edge
Where the reef used to sing
Pre-Chorus
Now the sand feels thin
Under every season
Tree roots show their bones
On the leaning bank
Mi lukim olketa mark
Higher every year now
If the water keeps coming
Where shall we go?
Chorus
Tide eats away my shoreline
Tide erodes my shoreline
(we are still here)
Tide eats away my shoreline
Tide erodes my shoreline
(hold our names, hold our names)
My island breaks away slowly
My island breaks away slowly
(father, mother, child)
My island breaks away slowly
And one day soon
We may have to go
Verse 2
Grandma points to the coconut line
Says the beach was wider then
Now the waves take bite by bite
Like they know our days are thin
My brothers fix the fence again
My sister fills the water drum
But the salt keeps climbing in
Under garden, under home
Pre-Chorus
Every year the shore moves back
Every year we watch it
Every year the same blue edge
Comes to claim more ground
If we leave these stones behind
Who will keep the story?
Who will keep the names alive
When our house is gone?
Chorus
Tide eats away my shore
Tide eats away my shore
(we are still here)
Tide erodes my shore
Tide erodes my shore
(hold our names, hold our names)
My island breaks slowly
My island breaks away slowly
(father, mother, child)
My island breaks slowly but surely
And one day soon
We may have to go
Bridge
If the road is far away
Will my children know this sand?
Will they hear the waves at dusk
Like I'm hearing it forever?
Mi bae never forget
Sound blong waves long shoreline
The church bell ringing at dawn
The path from shoreline to our home
Final Chorus
Tide eats away my shore
Tide eats away my shore
(we are still here)
Tide erodes my shoreline
Tide erodes my shoreline
(hold our names, hold our names)
My island breaks slowly
My island breaks away slowly
(father, mother, child)
My island breaks away slowly but surely
So carry us, rescue us
Where the sea can't take us[Intro]