Digital Tradition Mirror

Greenland Fisheries

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Greenland Fisheries

1. 'Twas in eighteen hundred and fifty-three
   And of June the thirteenth day,
   That our gallant ship her anchor weighed,
   And for greenland bore away, brave boys,
   And for greenland bore away.

2. The lookout in the crosstrees stood
   With spyglass in his hand;
   There's a whale, there's a whale, there's whalefish he cried
   And she blows at every span, brave boys
   She blows at every span.

3. The captain stood on the quarter deck,
   And a fine little man was he;
   "Overhaul, overhaul! Let your davit tackles fall,
   And launch your boats for sea, brave boys
   And launch your boats for sea.

4. Now the boats were launched and the men aboard,
   And the whale was full in view.
   Resolv-ed was each seaman bold
   To steer where the whalefish blew, brave boys
   To steer where the whalefish blew.

5. We stuck the whale the line paid out,
   But she gave a flourish with her tail,
   The boat capsized and four men were drowned,
   And we never caught that whale, brave boys,
   And we never caught that whale.

6. "To lose the whale," our captain said,
   It grieves my heart full sore,
   But oh! to lose (those) four gallant men
   It grieves me ten times more brave boys
   It grieves me ten times more.

7. The winter star doth now appear,
   So, boys we'll anchor weight;
   It's time to leave this cold country
   And homeward bear away, brave boys
   And homeward bear away.

8. Oh Greenland is a dreadful place
   A land that's never green
   Where there's ice and snow, and the whalefishes blow
   (and the) daylight's seldom seen brave boys
   But the daylight's seldom seen.



DT #321
Laws K21
see also Greenland Whale Fisheries
recorded by Weavers and MacColl
DC

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!