Greenland Whale Fishery

Twas in eighteen hundred andfifty-three
And of June the thirteenth day
That ourgallant ship heranchor weighed
And for greenland bore away, brave boys
And for greenland bore away

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

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

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
We stuck the whale the line paid out
But she gave a flourish with her tail
And we never caught that whale, brave boys
And we never caught that whale

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
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
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

Now, as the dawn is breaking my heart is breaking too
As I walk out on this may morn, my thoughts will be of you
So write these words upon the wall so everyone will know
I loved so much that I could see his blood upon the rose