I'm also looking for the lyrics to The Grangetown Whale. I'm also searching for the facts about the story behind it. I have the song on the most recent CD , "Tethered to the Foam," by Oceans Apart. My information is that it was written by Frank Hennessee. I emailed him several weeks ago asking about the event that the song commemorates, but have not had a reply. (Frank, if you see this post, I hope you'll respond.)

Here's what I THINK I know about it (how much is true, I'm not sure): Chapter 1: A dead whale was washed ashore somewhere on the coast of Wales. Some enterprising folk loaded it onto a truck of some kind and began exhibiting it around the area. After awhile the fragrance of the decaying carcass became such a problem that it was mercifully buried near the Cardiff suburb of Grangetown. Chapter 2: Sometime after the foregoing event, there was a major flood that inundated much of the area and Grangetown was among the areas hardest hit. (I have a vague notion that the flood was around the Christmas season of 1879?) The carcass of the Grangetown Whale was unearthed by the flood, but what happened to it after that I have no idea. Frank Hennessee was apparently inspired to write the tongue-in-cheek account of the adventurous voyage by several men in a small rowboat around and about the flooded streets (and other places including Cape Horn!) in search of "the mighty Grangetown whale."

I have no idea how much of the above (if any) is the real story. So if anyone can help me by recounting the actual details that lead to the song, I'd be VERY appreciative! And, ditto, if someone could also post the lyrics as well.

Reiver 2