Lyr Req: The Last Whale

21 Dec 00 - 05:56 PM (#361372)
Subject: seeking lyrics
From: GUEST

for a song called or containing The Last Whale. a song from/about the last whale on earth

Kindest regards

Pat humphreys

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21 Dec 00 - 06:08 PM (#361375)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics
From: Quincy

Is it The Last Whale in the Ocean by the Bards? Have the cd.....will transcribe if needed.

best wishes, Yvonne

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21 Dec 00 - 06:11 PM (#361377)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics
From: GUEST,Angun

Hi, Try to search for "Great whale" or something in the Forum search. There was recently a thread about "the last of the great whales", I think.

Angun

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21 Dec 00 - 06:24 PM (#361381)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics
From: Catrin

There - click here

What a beautiful song it is too

Cheers,

CATRIN

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21 Dec 00 - 06:37 PM (#361393)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics
From: Snuffy

Guest, you might find it in this thread

The Last Leviathon

Wassail! V

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21 Dec 00 - 06:51 PM (#361406)
Subject: Lyr Add: SONG OF THE WORLD'S LAST WHALE (Seeger)^^
From: raredance

On the off chance that "Last Leviathan" is not the song you are looking for, here is a possible alternative.

THE SONG OF THE WORLD'S LAST WHALE (1970, Pete Seeger)

I heard the song
Of the world's last whale,
As I rocked in the moonlight
And reefed the wail.
It'll happen to you
Also without fail,
If it happens to me
Sang the world's last whale.

It was down off Bermuda
Early last spring,
Near and underwater mountain
Where the humpbacks sing.
I lowered the microphone
A quarter mile down,
Switched on the recorder
And let the tape spin round.

I didn't just hear grunting,
I didn't just hear squeaks,
I didn't just hear bellows,
I didn't just hear shrieks.
It was the musical singing
And the passionate wail
That came from the heart
Of the world's last whale.

Down in the Antarctic
The harpoons wait,
But it's up on the land
They decide my fate.
In London Town
They'll be telling the tale,
If it's life or death
For the world's last whale.

So here' s little test
Tosee how you feel,
Here's a little test
For the Age Of The Automobile.
If we can save
Our singers in the sea,
Perhaps there's a chance
To save you and me.

I heard the song
Of the world's last whale,
As I rocked in the moonlight
And reefed the wail.
It'll happen to you
Also without fail,
If it happens to me
Sang the world's last whale.

rich r^^

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14 Jan 01 - 02:24 AM (#374253)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: Wotcha

Also sung by the Ancient Mariners ...
Cheers,
Brian

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14 Jan 01 - 03:13 AM (#374260)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: Manitas

It may be performed by the Dubliners but it was written by Andy Barnes. Credit where credit is due.

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14 Jan 01 - 01:23 PM (#374394)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: NightWing

Rich R,

Sorry to let my pedantic nature get the best of me, but the fourth line in the first (and last) verse is:

"And reefed the sail" [Not "wail"]

"Reef" is when you tie the sail to the boom so it's not catching the wind, but is available to be raised again. Note that this is the only proper use of the "square knot", originally called the "reef knot".

Where is this from? Something like The Ecology Songbook? Songbook for Survivial? I used to have this book and can't remember it's title to look for it again.

BB,
NightWing

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15 Jan 01 - 10:07 AM (#374839)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: David Coffin

Also sorry to be pedantic but a few corrections to be offered to The Last Leviathan: My Heart it has been rent.... This morning the sun did rise, in a crimson north sky... The ice was the color of blood and I heard the wind sigh I rose up to take a breath... And now that we are all gone, there will be no more hunting The big fellow is no more, and it's no use lamenting What race will be next in line, all for the slaughter The elephant or the seal, or your sons and daughters? Some of these corrections are minor, some change the meaning of the song. Powerful song. Gloucesterman

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15 Jan 01 - 06:26 PM (#375122)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: raredance

NightWing - It is never pedantic to correct one of my frequent typos, especially when the meaning is affected. It is of course "sail" and not "wail". You might wail if you ended up on a reef, but you would not reef a wail. The Seeger song is from the "Survival Songbook" (1971 Sierra Club). I am unaware of any recordings of it (which doesn't mean that there aren't any).

Gloucesterman - be careful with your pedantry. You correctly note some errors in the text version above while at the same time introduce some new minor errors. eg.
"... the sun did rise crimson in the North Sky
The ice was the color of blood, and the wind did sigh
I rose to take a breath..."
is the way the Barnes song (1986 Friendly Overtures Ltd) is printed in the song book "For The Beauty of The Earth" (1993 Folk Project)
Also the end of verse 2 should be "And now I am done" (not "gone")

This general song and subject discussion has gone around so many circles and loops in the past 3 1/2 years here that I am not sure if it should be described a moibius subject, keeps passing through the same points, or a double helix subject, travelling on in parallel loops. Some of the links above attest to this phenomenon. The links are incomplete. The only complete version of the Barnes song I have found that includes all 4 verses is one I typed in back in 1997 in a thread that is not among those linked above
(http://www.mudcat.org/thread.CFM?threadID=1933).
To compound the "loopiness" that thread also contains a set of the lyrics to the Seeger song (with sail not wail) sent in by Bill. So it is obvious that I am no better than anyone else at keeping track of this, or I wouldn't have typed them in again.

Until next time

rich r

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15 Jan 01 - 07:53 PM (#375167)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: David Coffin

I sit corrected. I guess I was singing it so it would scan. "Also the end of verse 2 should be "And now I am done" (not "gone")" I have heard this line as "and now I am undone". Alack I am undone by my wailing. At least I'm not smoking reefer. Duhhhhh. The folk process continues. Thanks for tolerating my pedantry. Gloucesterman

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31 Jan 01 - 12:11 PM (#386556)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: GUEST,michael batory

What a brilliant discussion and all good stuff for the research I am doing into the oral tradition as it applies to this song.

A couple of points. This is a work which is very much in copyright. Thus it is excellent and important that Manitas makes the point that Andy Barnes is the composer and Rich R credits the worldwide publisher Friendly Overtures Ltd. Please everybody note that if the lyrics or part of the lyrics are reproduced both these credits should be in place.

Use of these within the notion of Fair Dealing, for research, educational purposes and review, is allowed. But credits must still be given. Permision must be sought for any other use.

For those who are interested, the version by the Dubliners is one of fifty known commercially released recordings. If anybody wants the complete list, I can supply it.Please contact me at [e-mail]

Finally, to join the pedantic side. As the song is British, not American or Canadian as some would have it, "Colour" should be spelled with the U in place.

My recent posting about my research into the geographical, musical and lyrical progress of the song resulted in a great deal of correspondence for which I am most grateful. If anybody else has information about recordings and performances of the song, I'd love to have the details.

All the very best to those who love the song.

Michael Batory

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31 Jan 01 - 12:31 PM (#386573)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: Ella who is Sooze

Heard Dave the Ancient mariner sing this last night on Paltalk... it's a great song!

Ella

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01 Feb 01 - 05:37 AM (#387317)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: GUEST,michael batory

Thanks Ella, Can you possibly explain "Paltalk"?

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29 Jul 04 - 09:32 PM (#1236779)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: GUEST,Myst Lizard

An excellent celt/folk band called "Coyote Run" has done a version of this song, using digeridoos to mimic the song of the great whale. It's excellent! www.coyoterun.com They have cool earthy songs (like one about Herne the hunter)and songs of history (one sings of the slaughter at Bear River where the Shishoni indians were killed and one talks about the powder monkeys - the 7 year old boys who would be killed during their service on the tall ships). Cool stuff!

Myst

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03 Nov 05 - 06:40 PM (#1596839)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: seeking lyrics - The Last Whale
From: GUEST,Rosie Smith

I am trying to find a song i know... it was called "The Last Leviathan" but it's not the one by the dubliners. It goes like this
In ancient times we'd roam,
The seven seas our home.
Asking nothing more than life.
Untill man came to seek,
A prize not his to keep.
Our lives a harvest in his hands

Down ever on down,
oh man with your spear. Down ever on down,
Hide my face in the deepest place,
For i am the last of my race.
I am the last leviathan

i cant rememer the second verse and would love it if someone could help me

many thanx
rosie

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