KMRT Songs – Greenland Whale Fisheries

In eighteen hundred and forty-six
On June, the thirteenth day
Our gallant ship was anchors away
And for Greenland far away brave boys
and for Greenland bore away

Well the lookout in the crows nest stood
With a spy glass in his hand
There’s a whale, there’s a whale a bloody great big whale
And she blows with every span brave boys
And she blows with every span

The captain stood on the quarter deck
And a right little shite was he
Overhaul, overhaul let your davit toggles fall
And launch your boats for sea brave boys

We struck a whale and the line gave out
But she gave a flourish with her tail
A boat capsized and we lost several lives
And we never did catch that whale brave boys

To lose those lives the captain he said
Well it grieves my heart for sure
But to lose that whale, such a bloody great big whale
Sure it grieves me ten times more, brave boys

Now Greenland is a terrible place
It’s a place that’s never been green
Where there is ice and snow and the wild fishes blow
And daylight is seldom seen, brave boys