They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the pages would dry
Well now brother my heart rests on the book that you have left behind
Put your vest back on, take up your oars go back for my book you must find
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the sea gulls would cry
Oh father Cadoc how could I ever
Have forgotten the book of your pride
Just don't make me go out on the water
I am exhausted and the sunlight has nearly died
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the mages would sigh
Now then Baruc you will serve your master?
Make your way down to the water side
There is still light and you can avoid disaster
Return to me my book, before the ink on my page has dried
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the pages would fly
And he left his quill in the ink well
And in the quill the ink did rise
And when his pen was full he put its tip to paper
And he continued to write his next lines
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But you must read between the lines
And so Baruc went back out on the water
In his sweat and the tears that he cried
For he was more than wet from the river
And with a shiver set back out on the tide
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But you must read between the lines
And brother Baruc went into the water
He pushed his boat out into the tide
And he fought the storm that ravaged each quarter
And he fought the thought that he might surely die
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the soothsayers would sigh
Oh master, my master, why have you forsaken me
These 8 miles I row for your pride
I pray to God the sea serpents won't awaken seas
And drag me down where the river bed lies
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But by the morning the wagers would lie
After many long hours of rowing his river boat reached Flatholm's side
And he staggered up to the hermit's hovel and returned with a book in his hand
Oh curse this old book and its pages, I curse this book of his pride
And he thirst for water for ages, but he set out in his boat for Barry's land
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the driftwood would dry
And the darkness drifted all around him
The moon was beginning to hide
Yet his oars kissed the waves that would not drown him
Except for the cursed book by his side
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
And in the morning his mother would cry
And upon the horizon a white squall was gathering
Then lightning split and he was swallowed inside
The blown sea fog, and wind waves were lathering
That whipped up the sea's grog to infernal chide
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the sages would cry
In a sudden swell the book fell far into the stern
And Baruc reached down to gather it
But the sea dogs wave did slather and spit
And in a snarling bite snatched away his free oar
And as he hugged Cadoc's book to his chest
His boat was rocked and spun asunder
In the thrashing maelstrom and thunder
And overturned the book went under
But bobbed up on the otherside
Oh father, father your book was harder
To hook than my journey to paradise
And I lose faith that in my task I am a failure
But in my heart I know God must be on my side
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But the notes in the margins would dry
And Baruc clung to the keel, with Cadog's book his achilles heel
And he could begin to feel numb cold seeping into his limbs
And through the outrageous winds he held the book fast
And fastened it with bowline strings to the hull
But time and tide wait for no man,
And soon seawater had filled his lungs by the brimful
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the gulls would cry
While Baruc was drowning, Cadog was frowning
The wind was blowing a gale outside
But he kept on writing, with his candle flame fighting
The storms breath breathing as his ink it dried
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But in the morning the wreckages would testify
When finally the dawn broke in the morning
St Cadog saw Baruc's body afloat on the tide
And he went down to see the ship wreck, the flotsam and jetsam
He said a prayer, salvaged his book and then went back inside
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But by the morning the pages would dry
Baruc's body was buried in a tomb on Barry island
And St Cadog went back to his hermitage on the Flatholm side
And as Cadoc read his tombe on Flatholm island
He thought the only thing that's true was that the Word had never died
They said he was book bound,
And that he was bound to die
They said he was book bound
But now ink on the pages has dried
