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In eighteen hundred and forty-six,
On March the eighteenth day;
We hoisted our colours to the top of the mast,
And for Greenland sailed away, brave boys,
And for Greenland sailed away.
And when we reached that fine foreign shore,
Our goodly ship to moor;
We wished ourselves back home again,
With the girls upon the shore, brave boys,
With the girls upon the shore.
The lookout in the cross-tree stood,
A spy glass in his eye (in his eye)
Overhaul, overhaul, let your big boats fall,
And you'll put your boats to sea, brave boys,
And you'll put your boats to sea.
The captain stood on the quarterdeck,
The ice was in his eyes (in his eyes)
There's a whale, there's a whale, and a whalefish, he cried,
And she blows at every span, brave boys,
And she blows at every span.
The harpoon struck and the line played out,
In a single flurry of his tail (of his tail)
He capsized our boat and we lost five men,
And we did not catch that whale, brave boys,
And we did not catch that whale.
The losing of those five jolly men,
It grieved our captain sore (he was poisoned)
But the losing of that fine sperm whale,
Now it grieved him ten times more, brave boys,
Now it grieved him ten times more.
Oh, Greenland is a barren land,
A land that bears no green;
Well, there's ice and there's snow, and the whale fishes blow,
And an ale I've seldom seen, brave boys,
And an ale I've seldom seen.
In eighteen hundred and forty-seven,
On March the seventeenth day (Paddy's Day)
We hoisted our colours to the top of the mast,
And for Greenland we set sail, brave boys,
And for Greenland we set sail.
In [G] eighteen hundred and [D/F#] forty- [G] six,
On [C] March the [G] eighteenth [D/F#] day;
We [G] hoisted our colours to the [C] top [Bm] of the [Am] mast,
And for [G] Greenland [D7/F#] we set [G] sail, brave boys,
And for Greenland [D7/F#] we set [G] sail.
When we reached that [D/F#] fine foreign [G] shore,
Our [C] goodly [G] ships to [D/F#] moor;
We [G] wished ourselves back [C] ho- [Bm] me a-[Am] gain,
With the [G] girls up- [D7/F#] on the [G] shore, brave boys,
With the girls up- [D7/F#] on the [G] shore.
The lookout in the [D/F#] cross-beam [G] stood,
A [C] spy glass [G] in his [D/F#] eye (in his eye);
Over- [G] haul, overhaul, let your [C] big [Bm] boats [Am] fall,
And we'll [G] put your [D7/F#] boats to [G] sea, brave boys,
And we'll put your [D7/F#] boats to [G] sea.
The captain stood on the [D/F#] quarter- [G] deck,
The [C] ice was [G] in his [D/F#] eyes (in his eyes);
There's a [G] whale, there's a whale, there's a [C] whale- [Bm] fish, he [Am] cried,
And she [G] blows at [D7/F#] every [G] span, brave boys,
And she blows at [D7/F#] every [G] span.
Interlude: (verse chords)
Well the harpoon struck, and the [D7/F#] line flared [G] out,
With a [C] single [G] flurry of his [D7/F#] tail (of his tail);
He cap- [G] sized our boat and we [C] lost [Bm] five [Am] men,
And we [G] did not [D7/F#] catch that [G] whale, brave boys,
And we did not [D7/F#] catch that [G] whale.
The losing of those [D7/F#] five jolly [G] men,
It [C] grieved our [G] captain [D7/F#] so;
But the [G] losing of that [C] fine [Bm] whale [Am] fish,
Now it [G] grieved me [D7/F#] ten times [G] more, brave boys,
Now it grieved me [D7/F#] ten times [G] more.
(Key Change - slide the capo up two frets and use same chords.)
(A cappella on original recording.)
Now Greenland is a barren land,
A land that bears no green;
Well there's ice and there's snow, and the whale fishes blow,
And the daylight seldom seen, brave boys,
And the daylight seldom seen.
In [G] eighteen hundred and [D/F#] forty- [G] six,
On [C] March the [G] seventeenth [D/F#] day;
We [G] hoisted our colours to the [C] top [Bm] of the [Am] mast,
And for [G] Greenland [D7/F#] we set [G] sail, brave boys,
And for Greenland [D7/F#] we set [G] sail.
And for Greenland [D7/F#] we set [G] sail.
~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~
