Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler

Subject: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 08:27 AM

Can anyone provide me with the lyrics to this song. I used to sing it years ago, and cannot remember all the words. Because it was one of my favourites, I want to find them. Not been able to on the DT...Yours,Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: MMario
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 08:49 AM

Dtam - try this thread:

url=http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=7886

or click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 11:58 AM

Thank you MMario Mate I appreciate that..Yours,Aye.Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From:
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 08:54 AM

I am trying to find sheet music for the Baleana.

Can anyone please help.

Many thanks
Colin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: InOBU
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 09:10 AM

I love this song as well... cheers Lor...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: InOBU
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 09:12 AM

Oh wait... not the Dundee Whaler, the one I love is the one that the chorus is "Out of Balena we'll sail, hunting for the Humpbacked whale, about Austrailian whailing, not Dundee whalers, I will have to check the other out!
Cheers
lor

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: EBarnacle
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 12:56 PM

Larry, give me more. I may have it on tape. Eric

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: GUEST,The Horse's Mouth
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 01:07 PM

Hi,
   Did you get the lyrics to The Blaena? If not I have an old recording of it by A.L. Lloyd which I can do you a copy of.
All the best,
             Ray Black

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 05:11 PM

Guest, thanks, but the lyrics were provided in the second post above. The blue clickie takes you to another thread where they can be found.

However, my question from that thread hasn't been answered: Does anyone know of a recording by The Clutha? I'm beginning to think there isn't one.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE 'BALAENA'
From: Roberto
Date: 19 Oct 05 - 01:53 AM

1. sheet music for 'Baleana': one is in the book THE SCOTTISH FOLKSINGER, by Norman Buchan and Peter Hall. If guest loneranger sends me a fax-number, I'll make a fax to him.

2. A. L. Lloyd's recording: here is the text from the booklet of Lloyd's LEVIATHAN!

THE 'BALAENA'

The noble fleet of whalers went sailing from Dunclee,
Well-manned by British sailors to work upon the sea.
On the Western Ocean passage none with them can compare,
But the smartest ship to make the trip is 'Baleana',   I declare.

Chorus.   Oh, the wìnd is on her quarter, her engines workìng free,
There's not another whaler that sails out of Dundee
Can beat the old 'Baleana', she needs no trial run,
And we challenged all, both great and small, from Dundee to St.John.

It happened on a Tuesday, three days out of Dundee,
The gale took off her quarter-boat and a couple of men, you see.
It battered at her bulwarks, her stanchions and her raiIs,
And left the old 'Baleana', boys, a-frothing in the gale.

Bold Jackman cut his canvas and faìrly raised hls steam,
And Captain Guy with "Erin Boy" was ploughing through the stream,
And the noble "Terra Nova" her boilers nearly burst,
And still at the old whaling grounds, 'Baleana' got there first.

And now the season's over and the ship half-full of oil,
Our flying jib boom poìnts for home   towards our native soil.
And when that we have landed, boys, where the rum is very cheap,
We'll drink success to the skìpper's health for getting us over the deep.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Oct 05 - 04:20 PM

Clutha- can't find it listed on their albums, but this list may be incomplete.
Clutha

Lyrics to the A. L. Lloyd version were posted already in thread 7886: Balaena
and also are included at Suzanne's website:
Balaena

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 08:24 PM

Henry's website, actually. I just provide him with content.

Subject: ADD: The Balaena (from Lowland Folk Four)
From: Ferrara
Date: 07 Oct 18 - 03:17 PM

There'an excellent video of this song as recorded by the Lowland Folk Four in 1967. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6OYb_7bhME

I suspect this is close to the original version.

Here are the lyrics. They leave out A.L.Lloyd's verse about the lost boat, which I suspect was added much later since it has nothing to do with the rest of the song.

THE BALAENA
as sung by the Lowland Folk Four (1967)

1.
There's a noble fleet of whalers a-sailing fae Dundee,
Weel manned by British sailors, they sail them on the sea;
On the Western Ocean passage, none with 'em can compare,
But the smartest ship to make the trip is the Balaena I declare.

Ch: For the wind is on the quarter and the engine's workin' free,
    there's no another whaler a-sailin' fae Dundee
    Can beat the old Balaena, so you needn't try her on,
    For we'll challenge all baith large and small, fae Dundee tae St. Johns.

2.
There's the new built Terra Nova, a model with no doubt,
The Arctic and Aurora you've heard so much about,
Cap'n Jacklin's model mail-boat, the terror of the seas,
Couldn't beat the old Balaena on a passage fae Dundee.

4.
Oh, Jackman carries canvas, and Bailey raises steam,
And Captain Guy in the Young boat (?) goes ploughing through the stream,
And Mullin declares the Eskimo could beat the blooming lot,
But to beat the old Balena, boys, he'd find it rather hot.

5.
And now that we are landed, where the rum is mighty cheap,
We'll drink success to the Captain for ploughin' us o'er the deep,
A health tae all our sweethearts, an' tae our wives sae dear,
Not another ship could make the trip but the Balaena I declare.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Lighter
Date: 07 Oct 18 - 03:26 PM

Try this, recorded in 1953:

http://gestsongs.com/31/polina.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 07 Oct 18 - 03:41 PM

The McCalman's sing The Balena on their Turn Again album. That version can be found on YouTube.
I'm sure I read somewhere that research had been done by someone and no records could be found in Dundee of a ship called The Balena.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Ferrara
Date: 07 Oct 18 - 03:53 PM

DTM, it existed, all right! The You Tube video shows old photos of it sitting at the dock in Dundee. There is also at least one photo of it in articles about Dundee whaling. It went on an expedition to the Antarctic, among other things.

It was spelled "Balaena." Sorry -- I copied another version & edited it, missed the changes in spelling. Corrected now.

the image

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 08 Oct 18 - 02:30 PM

Ask Sheena Wellington, she lives in Dundee and kens a'thing aboot the place....or she can pop into the library, museum etc to fin'oot!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 09 Oct 18 - 07:51 PM

The picture of it is now in the very new Victoria & Albert museum in Dundee.
Nigel Gatherer also compiled a book of Dundee songs, which I'll check for any other info.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 11 Oct 18 - 10:32 AM

The version in Nigel Gatherer's "Songs and Ballads of Dundee" is very similar to that in Ferrara's post above, but it does have an extra middle verse.
He says it is "as sung by Stewart Brown".

I have capitalised any different words from Ferrara's posting, and there are other minir differences such as ye/you.

THE BALAENA
1.
There's a noble fleet of whalers a-sailing fae Dundee,
Weel manned by British sailors, TO WORK UPON the sea;
On the Western Ocean passage, none with 'em can compare,
But the smartest ship to make the trip is (the) Balaena I declare.

Ch: For the wind is on the quarter and the engine's workin' free,
    there's no another whaler a-sailin' fae Dundee
    Can beat the AULD Balaena, so you needn't try her on,
    For we'll challenge all baith large and smA', fae Dundee tae St. John.

2.
There's the new built Terra Nova, a model with no doubt,
The Arctic and Aurora you've heard so much about,
AN' JackMAN's model mail-boat, the terror of the seas,
Couldn't beat the AULD Balaena on a passage fae Dundee.

3.
Now it happened on a Thursday, four days we'd left Dundee,
An' the wind blew on the quarter-deck just aff the main ye see,
An' carried away oor bulwark, oor stanchions an' oor rails,
An' we left the whole concern, ma boys, a-floatin' in the gales.

4.
BOLD Jackman carries canvas, an' FAIRLY raises steam,
An' Captain Guy in the ARRAN boat goes ploughing through the stream,
And MullEN declares the Eskimo could beat the blooming lot,
But to beat the old Balena, boys, he'd find it rather hot.

5.
And now that we are landed, where the rum is VERY cheap,
We'll drink success to the Captain for ploughin' us o'er the deep,
A health tae a' oor sweethearts, an' tae our wives sae dear,
Not another ship could make the trip but the Balaena I declare.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balaena The Dundee whaler
From: Lighter
Date: 11 Oct 18 - 01:04 PM

I visited Newfoundland a couple of years ago and heard a pretty good folkie band performing this song. They introduced it by saying it was "a Great Big Sea song," written by Alan Doyle.

When I said I'd first heard it on Lloyd's "Leviathan" album in 1970, they looked at me weirdly. One replied, "Then you must be retro."