They, took us jolly sailor lads a fishin' for the whale On the fourth day of August in 1864, bound for Greenland we set sail The look out stood on the crosstrees high, with a spyglass in his hand "There's a whale, there's whale, there's a whale fish!" he cried! And she blows out every span The captain stood on the quarter deck, and a sod of man was he! Overhaul! Overhaul! Let you downy tackles fall... And we'll launch them boats to sea We struck that whale and the line played out, But she gave a flurry with her tail And a boat capsized, we lost seven of our men, And we never caught that whale. Now the losin' of seven fine seamen, Oh it grieved the captain sore But the losin' of a bloody sperm whale, Oh it grieved him ten times more. Now Greenland is a horrid place Where us fishin' lads have to go Where the rose and the lily never bloom in spring, And there's only ice and snow.