A ship on the ocean was miles from the shore They heard a great crash like an out of tune chord The crew exchanged glances beneath the big April moon The ship was going down and there was nothing they could do The ship was going down and there was nothing they could do Before any panic had a chance to set in A man raised his bow and his old violin He summoned up his courage He summoned up the band To hold fast 'til the end like a soldier's last stand To hold fast 'til the end like a soldier's last stand People rushed on by, still the band stood their ground And let loose in the air a most beautiful sound A song to raise your spirits And keep away your fear A song that you could walk upon the water when you hear A song that you could walk upon the water when you hear The symphony it swelled and none there could forget How the melody was bound to their sorrow and regret He poured himself out across cold, northern black And he gave them a gift they could not give him back He gave them a gift they could not give him back In an orphanage in Scotland, beneath the same moon Jessie woke from a dream of a ship and her crew She cried, "Can't you hear it? The song on the waves?" And with one final breath, Jessie drifted away