"Greenland Fisheries" lyrics

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 away we went
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 awful 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