Greenland Whale Fisheries

They took us jolly sailor lads a-fishing for a whale
On the fourth day of August in eighteen sixty-four
Bound for Greenland we set sail, brave boys
Bound for Greenland we set sail

The lookout stood on the crosstrees high, the spyglass in his hand
Ther's a whale, there's a whale, there's a whale-fish, he cried
And she blows at every span, brave boys
And she blows at every span

The captain stood on the quarter deck and a sod of a man was he
Overhaul, overhaul, let your davit tackles fall
And we'll launch them boats to sea, brave boys
And we'll launch them boats to sea

Well the boats went down with the men aboard and the whale was in full view
Resolved, resolved was each whalerman bold
For to steal where the whalefish blew, brave boys
For to steal where the whalefish blew

We strapped that whale and the line played out but she gave a flurry with her tail
And the boat capsized, we lost seven of our men
And we never caught that whale, brave boys
And we never caught that whale

Well the losing of seven fine seamen, well it grieved our captain sore
But the losing of a bloody sperm whale
Oh it grieved him ten times more, brave boys
Oh it grieved him ten times more

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