When love is in my bones
I'll go by stepping stones
And over shoals of mackerel
I'll skip along to Isobel
When love is in my bones
I'll go by stepping stones,
I'll skip across on tippy-toe

A tempest passing by
Will leave you high and dry by
Overflowing all your stepping stones
A tempest passing by
Will leave you high and dry
Go kiss your stepping stones goodbye

If hurricanoes blow
To flood my stepping stones
I'll take a little cockleshell
And bob across to Isobel
If hurricanoes blow
To flood my stepping stones
I'll take a jollyboat and row

A pirate passing by
Will leave you high and dry by
Scuppering your pretty cockleshell
A pirate passing by
Will leave you high and dry
Go kiss your jollyboat goodbye
In spite of scupperings
My love will grow me wings
And like a stormy petrel
I'll skim along to Isobel
In spite of scupperings
My love will grow me wings
And as I go I'll tremulously sing.

The hunter's narrow eye
Will shoot you from the sky
Tumble, tumble, tattered petrel
The hunter's wicked eye
Will pick you from the sky
Go kiss your love affair goodbye

If my descending bones
Go down to Davy Jones
Oh, will you tell my Isobel
How much I loved her as I fell
And ask her to be true
And give it a day or two
Before she kisses someone new