I cover the waterfront Watching the ship go by I could see, everybody's baby, but I couldn't see mine I could see, the ships pulling in to the harbor I could see the people, meeting their loved one Shaking hand I sat there so all alone, covering the waterfront And after a while All the people, left the harbor And headed for their destination All the ships, left the harbor And headed for their next destination I sat there, covering the waterfront And after a while, I looked down the ocean As far as I could see in the fog, I saw a ship It headed this way, coming out the foam It must be my baby, coming down And after a while, the ship pulled into the harbor Rolling slow, so cripple And my baby, stepped off board I was still, covering the waterfront Said, "Johnny, our ship had trouble with the fog And that's why we're so late, so late Coming home, coming down"