'Twas in eighteen hundred and fifty-three
And of june the thirteenth day,
That our gallant ship her anchor weighed,
And for greenland we sailed away, brave boys,
And for greenland we sailed away.
The lookout in the crosstrees stood
With spyglass in his hand;
There's a whale, there's a whale,
there's whalefish he cried
And she blows at every span, brave boys
And she blows at every span.
The captain stood on the quarter deck,
And a fine little man was he;
"Overhaul, overhaul! Let your davit tackles fall,
And launch your boats for sea, brave boys"
And launch your boats for sea.
We stuck the whale the line paid out,
But she gave a flourish with her tail,
The boat capsized and four men were drowned,
And we never caught that whale, brave boys,
And we never caught that whale.
The winter star does now appear,
So, boys we'll anchor weight;
H's time to leave this cold country
And homeward bound we are, brave boys
And homeward bound we are.
Oh Greenland is ä dreadful place
A land that's never green
Where there's ice and snow,
and the whaletishes blow
and the daylight's seldom seen, brave boys
and the daylight's seldom seen.