Anne Louise

"Anne Louise" exists in two versions, appearing first on Bones in the Ocean and reappearing as an instrumental featured on Written in Salt. It is a Longest Johns original, written by Josh Bowker.

Factoids

Westerly was a brand of yachts manufactured in the 1960s-1980s. Despite no longer being produced, Westerly yachts remain popular in the UK.^[1]

Making horses: "White horse" is a nautical term for a high, fast-moving, white-crested wave.^[2]

The cranes here refer to the dock cranes (machinery for loading and unloading cargo) at the Felixstowe docks, as confirmed by Dave.

Lyrics

Oh the Anne Louise is waiting for a crew to jump aboard
To take her out to deeper waters further from the shore
For it's quiet and still in the harbour, not a voice to be heard in the bay
But the wind's coming down from Norway and there's plenty to be done today

{Chorus}
Oh, cast off me lads, we'll set the sails hard in
'Cause she's been gasping for some action out on the open seas
Oh there's nothing quite like pitching along at dangerous speeds
With my hand on the tiller of my sky-blue Westerly

Oh, we've coffee and we've bacon and we've everything on board
So cried the crew, "Cast off from this safe haven we've been moored
For there's salt wind in our lungs boys, and salt blood in our veins"
But the wind's coming down from Norway making horses beyond the cranes

{Chorus}

Oh, she may be kind of small but she's got everything and more
For a crew of hopeless sea-dogs to lose sight of the shore
Oh we may be back in a month or we may be back in a day
But the wind's coming down from Norway and there's no way that we can say

{Chorus}

Oh, the Anne Louise has had her fill and now we must away
To walk upon the shores and share the stories of the day
Oh we may sleep well in our beds tonight and we may not be back here for days
But the wind's coming down from Norway and our dreams will be on the waves

{Chorus}

Oh, cast off me lads, we'll set the sails hard in
'Cause she's been gasping for some action out on the open seas
Oh there's nothing quite like pitching along at dangerous speeds
With my hand on the tiller
With my hand on the tiller
With my hand on the tiller of my sky-blue Westerly

Recordings

Streaming/Purchase

Original EP version

Instrumental - Written in Salt version

10 Year Anniversary Edition - 2023 arrangement

10 Year Anniversary Edition - Remixed

YouTube Videos

Gig Videos

Full Band Streams

Gaming Streams

↑ https://www.networkyachtbrokers.com/boat-manufacturer/westerly-296/
↑ "white horse, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2022, www.oed.com/view/Entry/228609. Accessed 3 October 2022.

[1] ttps://www.networkyachtbrokers.com/boat-manufacturer/westerly-296/

[2] "white horse, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2022, www.oed.com/view/Entry/228609. Accessed 3 October 2022.

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