They signed us weary whaling men
For the icy greenland ground
And they said we'd catch a score o' whales
While we was outward bound, brave boys, while we was outward bound
Oh, the look-out up in the cross-tree stood
With a spy-glass in his hand.
'There's a whale, there's a whale, and a whale-fish,' he cried.
And she blows at every span, brave boys, and she blows at every span.'
The captain stood on the quarterdeck,
And the ice was in his eye.
'Overhaul, overhaul, let your davit-tackles fall,
And put your boats to sea, brave boys, and put your boats to sea!'
Oh, the boats were lowered and the men put out
And the whale was full in view.
Resolved, resolved was each whalerman bold
To steer where the whale-fish blew, brave boys...
Now the harpoon struck and the line paid out,
And the whale give a flunder with her tail,
She upset the boat and we lost a bloody crew,
And we could not catch the whale, brave boys...
Oh, the losing of five gallant men
It grieved our captain sore,
But the losing of one fine sperm whale
Oh, it grieved him ten times more, brave boys...
The Northern star did now appear
It was time to anchor weigh
To stow below our running gear
And homeward bear away...
Oh, Greenland is a dreadful place,
It's a place that bears no green,
Where the cold winds blow and the whalefish go
And the daylight's seldom seen, brave boys... |