The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #78658   Message #1417055
Posted By: Stewie
21-Feb-05 - 10:58 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req/Add: Whale Chasing Man (Harry Robertson)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Whale Chasing Man
Here you go, John:

WHALE CHASING MAN

Haul away on the for' ard, and cast off down aft,
We're sailing away on a spanking new craft,
Wi the fast-running tide o'the swift RiverTees
We'll soon feel the chill o'the Northern Sea breeze

Farewell tae ye lassie, I'm sailin' awa'
Far frae yer arms tae the ice and the snow,
And whaling men sail wi regrets o'their kind,
They often leave love, and heartache behind

Chorus:
Four on and four off are the watches we stand,
Four months among ice, wi' no sight o' land,
And ye eat standing up, and ye sleep if ye can,
And life becomes hell, for the whale chasing man

Straight out o'the channel wi' its rain and its sleet
Down Africa's west coast that shimmers wi' heat,
Then further down south, more storms and gales
Are there in the path, o'the men who hunt whales.

The ice forms thick on the ship's rigging strands
And covers the deck where the gunner-man stands,
He calls for more speed when the whale tries to run,
And the eyes of the crew watch the man at the gun.

Chorus

And we chase and we kill, and we reap and we plunder,
Explosive harpoons tear whale life asunder,
Our nerves are on edge, no kind words are spoken,
And even the minds, of some men are broken

At last comes the call from the whale factory ship,
The season is over we're on the home trip;
Once more interest shines in the eyes o'the men
At the thought o' seeing their homeland again

Chorus

Hello tae ye lassie, although I did go,
Far from your arms tae the ice and the snow,
The regrets that I sailed wi' are noo at an end,
Long months o' lost love, I'm eager to spend

Think not o'the money the whaling man makes,
But think o'the life and the hardship it takes,
The rainbow o'thrills has gold at the end,
But it's harder to earn, than it is for to spend.

Chorus


Regards, Stewie.