My spin off from the Kompoz-A-Thon, which features James Fraser on vocals and music.

Counting the days down

(Chorus)

Counting the days down

Til we see safe shore

No other way to think

Just hands to the oars

(Verse 1)

We left so many behind

On Elephant Island

Shut off from the outside world

All comms lines cut silent

(Chorus)

Counting the days down

Til we see safe shore

No other way to think

Just hands to the oars

(Verse 2)

We took our fate so unkind

Not what we had planned

Only way to make it right

Reach landfall or be damned

(Bridge)

Navigator, navigate me

Right across this treacherous sea

One in a million chance that we’ll be

Able to set ourselves free

And save our friends

(Chorus)

Counting the days down

Til we see safe shore

No other way to think

Just hands to the oars

(Verse 3)

Clouds meant we sailed blind

On Antarctic seas

Only four readings made

Trusting to Worsley’s expertise

(Chorus)

Counting the days down

Til we see safe shore

No other way to think

Just hands to the oars

(Verse 4)

Made shore on South Georgia

Still faced with mountain peaks

Descended through a waterfall

To a port of the whaling fleet

(Chorus - variant)

Counting the days down

Until

Counting the days down

Until

Counting the days down

Until

Counting the days down …

Written by Simon Wright

(June 2018)

Based on the story of Ernest Shackleton’s failed attempt to cross the Antarctic continent from one coast to the other via the South Pole. Their ship, The Endurance, got stuck in ice and the men had to make their way to the wilderness of Elephant Island.

From there it turns into one of the greatest rescue stories of all time. Shackleton took 5 other men, included navigator Frank Worsley, in a small lifeboat, called the James Caird. Their task was as follows:

‘to travel to the nearest inhabited place which was the whaling station back on South Georgia, some 800 miles distant and across the most stormy stretch of ocean in the world. They expected to encounter waves that were 50 feet from tip to trough "Cape Horn Rollers" in a 22 foot long boat. Their navigation was by a sextant and a chronometer of unknown accuracy, they were dependent on sightings of the sun that could sometimes not be seen for weeks in the overcast weather so characteristic of these latitudes.’

Somehow they made it to South Georgia, crossed a mountain range to get to the whaling station and raised the alarm. All the men on Elephant Island were then rescued. There was no loss of life.

An incredible story and worth reading this article https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Shackleton-Endurance-Trans-Antarctic_expedition.php

Additional Information

Genre Singer/Songwriter Key G BPM 110.0

Collaboration started June 27, 2018 by SimonW
Last upload 2yr+5mo ago

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Copyright © 2018 by SimonW, All Rights Reserved.
Effective on Jun 27, 2018

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