The Ballad of the Greenland Whalers

The Ballad of the Greenland Whalers - Chat Mitchell Trio

Written by：Chad Mitchell

On the twenty third day of the month of June

In the year of '54

They signed us weary whaler men

To sail for greenland's shore brave boys

To sail for greenland's shore

Our gallant ship her sails we set

For the icy greenland ground

Well they said

We'd take about a score or two a whale

Before we're six months bound brave boys

Before we're six months bound

Oh the lookout up in the crosstree stood

With a spyglass in his hand

There's a whale there's a whale

There's a whale fish he cried

She blows on every span brave boys

She blows on every span

The captain stood on the quarterdeck

With his eye to the icy sea

Overhaul overhaul

Let your davit tackles fall

Put your boats on the water

Cried he brave boys

Put your boats on the water

Cried he

Well the boats got down and the crews aboard

And the whale was in full view

And the bosun roared

Put your backs to the oars

And steer where the whale fish blew

Brave boys

And steer where the whale fish blew

Brave boys

And steer where the whale fish blew

Well the harpoon struck

And the line played out

And the whale gave a thunder with its tail

And the boat capsized killing half a dozen men

And we never did catch that whale

Brave boys

We never did catch that whale

To lose those men

The captain said

Well it grieves my heart full sore

But we knew the losing of that hundred barrel whale

Well it grieved him ten times more

Brave boys

It grieved him ten times more

Oh greenland is a dreadful place

It's a place that's never green

Where there's ice and snow

And the whale fishes blow

And the daylight's seldom seen

Brave boys

The daylight's seldom seen