The Ballad Of The Greenland Whalers

On the twenty third day of the month of June
In the year of '54
They signed us weary whaler men
To sail for Greenland's shore, brave boys
To sail for Greenland's shore

Our gallant ship her sails we set
For the icy Greenland ground
Well, they said we'd take about a score or two a whale
Before we're six months bound, brave boys
Before we're six months bound

Oh, the lookout up in the crosstree stood
With a spyglass in his hand
There's a whale, there's a whale, there's a whale fish, he cried
She blows on every span, brave boys
She blows on every span

The captain stood on the quarterdeck
With his eye to the icy sea
Overhaul! Overhaul! Let your davit-tackles fall
Put your boats on the water, cried he, brave boys
Put your boats on the water, cried he

Well, the boats got down and the crews aboard
And the whale was in full view
And the bosun roared, put your backs to the oars
And steer where the whale fish blew, brave boys
And steer where the whale fish blew

Brave boys
And steer where the whale fish blew

Well, the harpoon struck and the line played out
And the whale gave a thunder with its tail
And the boat capsized killing half a dozen men
And we never did catch that whale, brave boys
We never did catch that whale

To lose those men, the captain said
Well, it grieves my heart full sore
But we knew the losing of that hundred barrel whale
Well, it grieved him ten times more, brave boys
It grieved him ten times more

Oh, Greenland is a dreadful place
It's a place that's never green
Where there's ice and snow, and the whale fishes blow
And the daylight's seldom seen, brave boys
The daylight's seldom seen