Greenland Fisheries - Burl Ives

It was in the year of '44

On March the second day

That our gallant ship her anchors weighed

And for sea we bore away, brave boys

And for sea we bore away

And when we came to far Greenland

To the Greenland cold we came

Where there is frost and there is snow

And the mighty whalefishes blow, brave boys

And the mighty whalefishes blow

Our boatswain went to top most high

With his spyglass in his hand

There’s a whale, there’s a whale, there’s a whalefish he cried

And she blows at every span, brave boys

And she blows at every span

Our captain stood on the quarter-deck

And a brave little man was he

«Overhaul! Overhaul! On your davit-tackles fall

And launch your boats for sea, brave boys

And launch your boats for sea»

We struck the whale, and the way we win

And he lashed out with his tail

And we lost the boat and five good men

And we never got that whale, brave boys

And we never got that whale

Oh, Greenland is an afwul place

Where the daylight’s seldom seen

Where there is frost and there is snow

And the mighty whalefishes blow, brave boys

And the mighty whalefishes blow