The Whale

'Twas in the year of forty-nine,
On March, the twentieth day,
Our gallant ship her anchor weigh'd,
And to the sea she bore away,
Brave boys,
And to the sea she bore away.
With a fa la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la
Fa la la fa la la
Fa la la la la.

Old Blowhard was our captain's name,
Our ship the Lion bold,
And we were bound to the North Country
To face the frost and the cold,
Brave boys, etc.

And when we came to that cold country
Where the ice and the snow do lie,
Where there's ice and snow, and the great whale
And the daylight does not die,
Brave boys, etc.

Our mate went up to the topmast head
With a spyglass in his hand:
"A whale, a whale, a whale', he cries,
"And she spouts at every span,'
Brave boys, etc.

Up jumped old Blowhard on the deck--
And a clever little man was he--
"Overhaul, overhaul, let your main-tackle fall,
And launch your boat to sea,'
Brave boys, etc.

We struck that fish and away she flew
With a flourish of her tail;
But oh! and alas! we lost one man
And we did not catch that whale,
Brave boys, etc.

Now when the news to our captain came
He called up all his crew
And for the losing of that man
He down his colours drew,
Brave boys, etc.

Says he: "My men, be not dismayed
At the losing of one man,
For Providence will have his will,
Let man do what he can,'
Brave boys, etc.

Now the losing of that prentice boy
It grieved our captain sore,
But the losing of that great big whale
It grieved him a damned sight more,
Brave boys,
It grieved him a damned sight more.
With a fa la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la
Fa la la fa la la
Fa la la la la.
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