The Greenland Whale Fisheries

In eighteen hundred and forty four
Of March the eighteenth day
We hoisted our colours
To the top of the mast
And for Greenland bore away, brave boys
And for Greenland bore away

The lookout on the mainmast he stood
His spyglass in his hand
“There’s a whale, there’s a whale
There’s a whalefish”, he cried
“And she blows at every span, brave boys
And she blows at every span

The captain stood on the quarter deck
The ice was in his eye
“Overhaul, overhaul
Let your jib sheets fall
And go put your boats to sea, brave boys
And go put your boats to sea

The boats were lowered and the men put out
The whale was full in view
Resolved, resolved
Was each whalerman bold
For to steer where the whalefish blew, brave boys
For to steer where the whalefish blew

The harpoon struck and the line paid out
With a single flourish of its tail
She capsized our boat
And we lost five men
And we did not catch the whale, brave boys
And we did not catch the whale

The losin’ of those five jolly men
It grieved our captain sore
But the losin’ of
That sperm whale fish
Oh it grieved him ten times more, brave boys
Oh it grieved him ten times more

“Up anchor now”, our captain he cried
“For the winter stars do appear
And it’s time that we left
This cold country
And for England we will steer, brave boys
And for England we will steer

Well Greenland is a barren land
A land that bears no green
Where there’s ice and snow
And the whalefishes blow
And the daylight’s seldom seen, brave boys
And the daylight’s seldom seen