Greenland Whale Fisheries lyrics and Guitar chords
Greenland Whale Fisheries is a Traditional sea shanty song, recorded by The Clancys, The Dubliners, The Weevers, and by The Pogues.The 5 string banjo chords are here plus the four string tenor banjo chords in G Major. The sheet music is suitable for the flute.The guitar chords are in chordpro. Depending who sings this song the lyrics get changed. The video is of The Pogues. I have also included a version of the chords as used by The Pogues which is in the key of G Major. Greenland whale fisheries tenor guitar tab in CGDA added.
Greenland Whale Fisheries Words And Chords In The Key Of G
[G]Twas in eighteen hundred and[D] fifty-[G]three
And of[C] June the[G] thirteenth[D] day,
That our[G] gallant ship her[C] anchor weighed,
And for[G] Greenland[D] bore a[G]way, brave boys,
And for Greenland[D] bore a[G]way.
The lookout in the crosstrees stood
With spyglass in his hand;
There's a whale, there's a whale, there's whalefish he cried
And she blows at every span, brave boys
She blows at every span.
The captain stood on the quarter deck,
And a fine little man was he;
"Overhaul, overhaul! Let your davit tackles fall,
And launch your boats for sea, brave boys
And launch your boats for sea.
Now the boats were launched and the men aboard,
And the whale was full in view.
Resolv-ed was each seaman bold
To steer where the whalefish blew, brave boys
To steer where the whalefish blew.
We stuck the whale the line paid out,
But she gave a flourish with her tail,
The boat capsized and four men were drowned,
And we never caught that whale, brave boys,
And we never caught that whale.
To lose the whale," our captain said,
It grieves my heart full sore,
But oh! to lose (those) four gallant men
It grieves me ten times more brave boys
It grieves me ten times more.
The winter star doth now appear,
So, boys we'll anchor weight;
It's time to leave this cold country
And homeward bear away, brave boys
And homeward bear away.
Oh Greenland is a dreadful place
A land that's never green
Where there's ice and snow, and the whalefishes blow
(and the) daylight's seldom seen brave boys
But the daylight's seldom seen.
Greenland Whale Fisheries Sheet Music Notes
[G]Twas in eighteen hundred and[D] fifty-[G]three
And of[C] June the[G] thirteenth[D] day,
That our[G] gallant ship her[C] anchor weighed,
And for[G] Greenland[D] bore a[G]way, brave boys,
And for Greenland[D] bore a[G]way.
The lookout in the crosstrees stood
With spyglass in his hand;
There's a whale, there's a whale, there's whalefish he cried
And she blows at every span, brave boys
She blows at every span.
The captain stood on the quarter deck,
And a fine little man was he;
"Overhaul, overhaul! Let your davit tackles fall,
And launch your boats for sea, brave boys
And launch your boats for sea.
Now the boats were launched and the men aboard,
And the whale was full in view.
Resolv-ed was each seaman bold
To steer where the whalefish blew, brave boys
To steer where the whalefish blew.
We stuck the whale the line paid out,
But she gave a flourish with her tail,
The boat capsized and four men were drowned,
And we never caught that whale, brave boys,
And we never caught that whale.
To lose the whale," our captain said,
It grieves my heart full sore,
But oh! to lose (those) four gallant men
It grieves me ten times more brave boys
It grieves me ten times more.
The winter star doth now appear,
So, boys we'll anchor weight;
It's time to leave this cold country
And homeward bear away, brave boys
And homeward bear away.
Oh Greenland is a dreadful place
A land that's never green
Where there's ice and snow, and the whalefishes blow
(and the) daylight's seldom seen brave boys
But the daylight's seldom seen.
Greenland Whale Fisheries Sheet Music Notes
Greenland whale fisheries tenor guitar tab in CGDA
Shane MacGowan The Pogues Singer
The Greenland Whale Fisheries song is a traditional sea shanty that originated in the 19th century. The song tells the story of a whaling voyage to the Arctic waters of Greenland, a dangerous and treacherous journey that was undertaken by many sailors during this time. The lyrics of the song depict the harsh realities of life on a whaling ship, the struggles and dangers faced by the crew, and the ultimate fate of the majestic whales.
The origins of the Greenland Whale Fisheries song can be traced back to the early 1800s, when the whaling industry was at its peak. Whaling was a major economic activity in countries like England, Scotland, and America, with ships venturing to the Arctic waters to hunt for the valuable whale oil. The song was most likely composed by sailors who worked on these ships, as a way to pass the time and to share their experiences with others.
The lyrics of the Greenland Whale Fisheries song are a powerful and poignant reflection of the harsh and dangerous nature of whaling. The first verse describes the departure of the ship from England, with the sailors bidding farewell to their loved ones and setting off on a perilous journey. The second verse talks about the treacherous weather conditions and the constant fear of the ship being crushed by icebergs. This speaks to the real dangers faced by whaling ships in the Arctic, where the weather was unpredictable and the sea was often frozen.
The third verse of the song paints a vivid picture of the actual hunting of the whales. The sailors are portrayed as brave and skilled hunters, who risk their lives to capture these magnificent creatures. The line “and when the line gets full and the whale is clear/ and the whale is clear, boys, we give a loud cheer” highlights the excitement and sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully capturing a whale. However, the next verse brings to light the gruesome reality of the hunt, with the sailors “cutting and slashing, and ripping and tearing” the whale’s flesh. This verse serves as a reminder that despite the bravery and skill of the sailors, whaling was a brutal and violent activity.
The final verse of the song is perhaps the most haunting, as it describes the fate of the whales. The line “we’ll tow them alongside and cut them in two/ and we’ll sing and we’ll dance as the whaleboats come through” depicts the callous attitude towards the slaughter of these magnificent creatures. The sailors see the whales as nothing more than a source of profit, and their deaths are celebrated rather than mourned. This verse serves as a commentary on the greed and disregard for nature that was prevalent in the whaling industry at the time.
The Greenland Whale Fisheries song also sheds light on the lives of the sailors who worked on these whaling ships. Life on a whaling ship was tough and dangerous, with long hours of hard labor and the constant threat of death. This is reflected in the lyrics of the song, with references to the sailors being “half starved” and “half drowned”. The line “we’re the poor little lambs who have lost our way home” speaks to the isolation and loneliness experienced by these sailors, who were often away from their families for months on end.
Despite the dangers and hardships, the Greenland Whale Fisheries song also captures the camaraderie and sense of community among the sailors. The chorus of the song, “We’ll roll the old chariot along/ We’ll roll the old chariot along/ We’ll roll the old chariot along/ And we’ll all hang on behind”, is a call to work together and support each other in the face of adversity. This sense of solidarity was crucial for survival on the whaling ships, where the crew relied on each other for their safety and well-being.
The Greenland Whale Fisheries song has stood the test of time and remains a popular sea shanty to this day. It has been covered by numerous artists and has been included in various collections of traditional folk songs. This is a testament to the enduring appeal and significance of the song, which serves as a reminder of the dangers and brutality of the whaling industry and the sacrifices made by the sailors who worked in it.
In conclusion, the Greenland Whale Fisheries song is a powerful and evocative portrayal of the whaling industry in the 19th century. Its lyrics provide a glimpse into the harsh realities of life on a whaling ship, the dangers faced by the sailors, and the fate of the majestic whales. The song serves as a reminder of the impact of human activities on nature and the need for responsible and sustainable practices. It also honors the bravery and resilience of the sailors who embarked on these treacherous voyages, and their contribution to the history of seafaring.
The origins of the Greenland Whale Fisheries song can be traced back to the early 1800s, when the whaling industry was at its peak. Whaling was a major economic activity in countries like England, Scotland, and America, with ships venturing to the Arctic waters to hunt for the valuable whale oil. The song was most likely composed by sailors who worked on these ships, as a way to pass the time and to share their experiences with others.
The lyrics of the Greenland Whale Fisheries song are a powerful and poignant reflection of the harsh and dangerous nature of whaling. The first verse describes the departure of the ship from England, with the sailors bidding farewell to their loved ones and setting off on a perilous journey. The second verse talks about the treacherous weather conditions and the constant fear of the ship being crushed by icebergs. This speaks to the real dangers faced by whaling ships in the Arctic, where the weather was unpredictable and the sea was often frozen.
The third verse of the song paints a vivid picture of the actual hunting of the whales. The sailors are portrayed as brave and skilled hunters, who risk their lives to capture these magnificent creatures. The line “and when the line gets full and the whale is clear/ and the whale is clear, boys, we give a loud cheer” highlights the excitement and sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully capturing a whale. However, the next verse brings to light the gruesome reality of the hunt, with the sailors “cutting and slashing, and ripping and tearing” the whale’s flesh. This verse serves as a reminder that despite the bravery and skill of the sailors, whaling was a brutal and violent activity.
The final verse of the song is perhaps the most haunting, as it describes the fate of the whales. The line “we’ll tow them alongside and cut them in two/ and we’ll sing and we’ll dance as the whaleboats come through” depicts the callous attitude towards the slaughter of these magnificent creatures. The sailors see the whales as nothing more than a source of profit, and their deaths are celebrated rather than mourned. This verse serves as a commentary on the greed and disregard for nature that was prevalent in the whaling industry at the time.
The Greenland Whale Fisheries song also sheds light on the lives of the sailors who worked on these whaling ships. Life on a whaling ship was tough and dangerous, with long hours of hard labor and the constant threat of death. This is reflected in the lyrics of the song, with references to the sailors being “half starved” and “half drowned”. The line “we’re the poor little lambs who have lost our way home” speaks to the isolation and loneliness experienced by these sailors, who were often away from their families for months on end.
Despite the dangers and hardships, the Greenland Whale Fisheries song also captures the camaraderie and sense of community among the sailors. The chorus of the song, “We’ll roll the old chariot along/ We’ll roll the old chariot along/ We’ll roll the old chariot along/ And we’ll all hang on behind”, is a call to work together and support each other in the face of adversity. This sense of solidarity was crucial for survival on the whaling ships, where the crew relied on each other for their safety and well-being.
The Greenland Whale Fisheries song has stood the test of time and remains a popular sea shanty to this day. It has been covered by numerous artists and has been included in various collections of traditional folk songs. This is a testament to the enduring appeal and significance of the song, which serves as a reminder of the dangers and brutality of the whaling industry and the sacrifices made by the sailors who worked in it.
In conclusion, the Greenland Whale Fisheries song is a powerful and evocative portrayal of the whaling industry in the 19th century. Its lyrics provide a glimpse into the harsh realities of life on a whaling ship, the dangers faced by the sailors, and the fate of the majestic whales. The song serves as a reminder of the impact of human activities on nature and the need for responsible and sustainable practices. It also honors the bravery and resilience of the sailors who embarked on these treacherous voyages, and their contribution to the history of seafaring.
The Weevers
While there was nobody like the Weavers until the Weavers came, and so far they have been unrivalled, it is possible that another group like them will turn up. This is the formula:
Take four singers, three men and a woman, all of them bubbling with musical ideas, not only lovers of folk music but such close kin to the people who created and transmitted this music that they can fill in the gaps and create new songs as folk as the folk themselves.
being.
Add a rousing mastery of guitar and banjo. Add also a feeling for the troubles of another human Put the four singers together, let them argue and hassle with each song, trying it this way and that, until the result has the best ideas of all of them and at the same time "works" as if there were one spirit behind it.
This is the Weavers. This is what has made every Weavers performance, even of the most familiar song, a fresh and exhilarating or haunting experience. This has brought hitherto unknown and beautiful folk songs into common use and brought new songs into being that sound as if they had always been around. And this has caused their songs, old and new, to be known, at first unbeknownst to them, as "Weavers songs."
What makes a "Weavers song," in their words, is: "Editing, rewriting, polishing, re-emphasizing phrases, clarifying motives; painstaking, thoughtful work; a rewrite of a song which made our grandparents shed a tear but was just too sentimental for today, an interesting fragment which needed new verses to tell a whole story; a new last verse for another song to change the story to suit our taste; new verses for an old gospel song which came to us only as a chorus; and our re-arranging of all the songs to suit our vocal needs."
The program here is made up mostly of outstanding "Weavers songs." Of Aweigh, Santy Ano, Lee Hays says, "a chantey is a chantey. It could go on as long as there was work to be done and the verses did not have to make any sense, so long as the rhythm was kept steady." Here the Weavers have attempted to keep the rough spirit of the original and tell a story too. Wild Goose Grasses is also known as "In Tarrytown," and those who trace folk- song genealogies will find it an offspring of "Butcher Boy." Erie Canal is a song of the boatmen and mule skin- ners who worked on the famous canal that DeWitt Clinton promoted and was proud of. He was rewarded by having his picture put on your cigarette tax stamp. Those who did the actual work on the canal had a different opinion, as this song indicates.
Aunt Rhodie is probably better known than any other cradle song. At a concert the Weavers asked the audience to sing this old lullaby as each person had first learned it. When the tune reached the name of the aunt, there was a mad jumble; Sally, Polly, Susy, etc. Old Riley tells the all too rare story of a prisoner who managed to es- cape from a Texas prison farm. He got across the Brazos River where Rattler, the bloodhound, couldn't catch him. Howard's Dead and Gone is a jump party song which can go on so long as anyone has verses to contribute.
For Greenland Whale Fisheries, Pete Seeger and Fred Hellerman joined the old New England ballad with a Bahaman fragment to dramatize the story of life on the whaling vessels. Sailors worked not for wages but for "lays," shares of the total catch. It was a form of whale share cropping, of misery and tragedy at sea. Of Gotta Travel On, the Weavers comment, "Here again was a fragment of a song with an appealing rhythm we wanted to pre- serve. We wrote new lyrics to tell a lonesome tale; who has not felt with the guy in the song that it's time to travel on?" Bury Me (Beneath the Willow) is a sad song, a cate- gory which often raises a question as to whether the song is pure corn or a great song. This one is still known to draw a few tears. I Never Will Marry is Fred Hellerman's revision of the old song, but the opinions expressed in the lyrics are not necessarily those of the authors or singers. Erik Darling sings tenor on this one.
Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho is of course one of the great, defiant Negro spirituals, and "the walls came tumbling down" continues to apply to a host of new situations. This Land is Your Land is Woody Guthrie's, and many think it to be the finest effort of this great balladeer. In it he struck a common denominator which has made it a highly cherished song not only to his own and the Weavers' audiences throughout our own land's wide reaches but also in Canada, where appropriate geographical changes are made in the lyrics.
If it wasna for the wark o the weavers is the refrain of an old Scottish ballad.
We are not that kind of weavers, but it was our thinking of them and of all artisans weaving and molding real stuff into the necessities of life that gave us our name, The Weavers. For what is more necessary and real than the putting together of songs that sing truly of our lives, our problems, our hopes and dreams?
At first our name meant nothing to our audiences. In the midwest we disappointed some persons who came to hear us thinking that they were to see a vaudeville group of many years ago which called itself The Weaver Brothers and Elviry (late show viewers will know them). One woman said to Ronnie Gilbert, "I'd know you anywhere, Elviry!" Her husband said to Lee Hays, "You've put on weight, Slim," which was a simple statement of fact.
But in a fairly short time the name began to mean some- thing more specific. Disc jockeys started using phrases like "Weavers-type songs"; one reviewer said of a song "That's like a Weavers' song". In short, the name had begun to stand for what we had made of it, and for what our audiences had come to expect from us.
But we couldn't tell you exactly what a 'Weavers' song' is. We turned down 'High Noon' because it didn't look like a Weavers' song. We sang 'The Wreck of the John B.' and 'Wimoweh' because they did sound to us like 'our' songs.
A song changes every time a new singer or group sings it; the song is re-stated according to the personality and style of its performers. The listener has a choice. It is a matter of record that Frank Sinatra hit the comeback trail with his recording of 'Goodnight Irene' because a couple of hundred thousand record buyers preferred his presentation of the song to ours.
Beyond that, however, is the unseen portion of our work in editing, rewriting, polishing, re-emphasizing phrases, clarifying motives all of the painstaking, thoughtful work of rebuilding songs that has gone into the product we call Weavers' songs.
'Kumbaya', for example, came to us as an African song which had only that one word; we added a few lines of English to make it into what it sounded like it ought to be, a lullaby.
And so with eight of the songs in this album: a rewrite of a song which made our grandparents shed a tear but which was just too sentimental for today; an interesting fragment which needed new verses to tell a whole story; a new last verse for another song to change the story to suit our taste; new verses for an old gospel song which came to us only as a chorus; and our re-arranging of all the songs to suit our vocal needs.
This is not to argue that all songs need changing; many do not, and with these our job is to re-create them for our- selves with as much of the original meaning and feeling as our understanding allows.
We have found that a group is more than the sum total of its parts. Figuring the various ages of our individual mem- bers, we represent more than a hundred years of work, all told, in folk music; but our work, and what we offer to our audience, is the result of those years focussed into ten short years of intensive study, research, writing, and performing.
Some of these songs were recorded with Pete Seeger (2, 4) and 7 on Side One; 6, 8 on Side Two). The other group songs were done with the newest member of the Weavers, Erik Darling.
We hope we may be excused if, assessing our first ten years, we feel proud that we have been able to create a repertory that did not exist before our group got together- that body of music which has come to be defined as 'Weavers' songs'.
-THE WEAVERS
While there was nobody like the Weavers until the Weavers came, and so far they have been unrivalled, it is possible that another group like them will turn up. This is the formula:
Take four singers, three men and a woman, all of them bubbling with musical ideas, not only lovers of folk music but such close kin to the people who created and transmitted this music that they can fill in the gaps and create new songs as folk as the folk themselves.
being.
Add a rousing mastery of guitar and banjo. Add also a feeling for the troubles of another human Put the four singers together, let them argue and hassle with each song, trying it this way and that, until the result has the best ideas of all of them and at the same time "works" as if there were one spirit behind it.
This is the Weavers. This is what has made every Weavers performance, even of the most familiar song, a fresh and exhilarating or haunting experience. This has brought hitherto unknown and beautiful folk songs into common use and brought new songs into being that sound as if they had always been around. And this has caused their songs, old and new, to be known, at first unbeknownst to them, as "Weavers songs."
What makes a "Weavers song," in their words, is: "Editing, rewriting, polishing, re-emphasizing phrases, clarifying motives; painstaking, thoughtful work; a rewrite of a song which made our grandparents shed a tear but was just too sentimental for today, an interesting fragment which needed new verses to tell a whole story; a new last verse for another song to change the story to suit our taste; new verses for an old gospel song which came to us only as a chorus; and our re-arranging of all the songs to suit our vocal needs."
The program here is made up mostly of outstanding "Weavers songs." Of Aweigh, Santy Ano, Lee Hays says, "a chantey is a chantey. It could go on as long as there was work to be done and the verses did not have to make any sense, so long as the rhythm was kept steady." Here the Weavers have attempted to keep the rough spirit of the original and tell a story too. Wild Goose Grasses is also known as "In Tarrytown," and those who trace folk- song genealogies will find it an offspring of "Butcher Boy." Erie Canal is a song of the boatmen and mule skin- ners who worked on the famous canal that DeWitt Clinton promoted and was proud of. He was rewarded by having his picture put on your cigarette tax stamp. Those who did the actual work on the canal had a different opinion, as this song indicates.
Aunt Rhodie is probably better known than any other cradle song. At a concert the Weavers asked the audience to sing this old lullaby as each person had first learned it. When the tune reached the name of the aunt, there was a mad jumble; Sally, Polly, Susy, etc. Old Riley tells the all too rare story of a prisoner who managed to es- cape from a Texas prison farm. He got across the Brazos River where Rattler, the bloodhound, couldn't catch him. Howard's Dead and Gone is a jump party song which can go on so long as anyone has verses to contribute.
For Greenland Whale Fisheries, Pete Seeger and Fred Hellerman joined the old New England ballad with a Bahaman fragment to dramatize the story of life on the whaling vessels. Sailors worked not for wages but for "lays," shares of the total catch. It was a form of whale share cropping, of misery and tragedy at sea. Of Gotta Travel On, the Weavers comment, "Here again was a fragment of a song with an appealing rhythm we wanted to pre- serve. We wrote new lyrics to tell a lonesome tale; who has not felt with the guy in the song that it's time to travel on?" Bury Me (Beneath the Willow) is a sad song, a cate- gory which often raises a question as to whether the song is pure corn or a great song. This one is still known to draw a few tears. I Never Will Marry is Fred Hellerman's revision of the old song, but the opinions expressed in the lyrics are not necessarily those of the authors or singers. Erik Darling sings tenor on this one.
Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho is of course one of the great, defiant Negro spirituals, and "the walls came tumbling down" continues to apply to a host of new situations. This Land is Your Land is Woody Guthrie's, and many think it to be the finest effort of this great balladeer. In it he struck a common denominator which has made it a highly cherished song not only to his own and the Weavers' audiences throughout our own land's wide reaches but also in Canada, where appropriate geographical changes are made in the lyrics.
If it wasna for the wark o the weavers is the refrain of an old Scottish ballad.
We are not that kind of weavers, but it was our thinking of them and of all artisans weaving and molding real stuff into the necessities of life that gave us our name, The Weavers. For what is more necessary and real than the putting together of songs that sing truly of our lives, our problems, our hopes and dreams?
At first our name meant nothing to our audiences. In the midwest we disappointed some persons who came to hear us thinking that they were to see a vaudeville group of many years ago which called itself The Weaver Brothers and Elviry (late show viewers will know them). One woman said to Ronnie Gilbert, "I'd know you anywhere, Elviry!" Her husband said to Lee Hays, "You've put on weight, Slim," which was a simple statement of fact.
But in a fairly short time the name began to mean some- thing more specific. Disc jockeys started using phrases like "Weavers-type songs"; one reviewer said of a song "That's like a Weavers' song". In short, the name had begun to stand for what we had made of it, and for what our audiences had come to expect from us.
But we couldn't tell you exactly what a 'Weavers' song' is. We turned down 'High Noon' because it didn't look like a Weavers' song. We sang 'The Wreck of the John B.' and 'Wimoweh' because they did sound to us like 'our' songs.
A song changes every time a new singer or group sings it; the song is re-stated according to the personality and style of its performers. The listener has a choice. It is a matter of record that Frank Sinatra hit the comeback trail with his recording of 'Goodnight Irene' because a couple of hundred thousand record buyers preferred his presentation of the song to ours.
Beyond that, however, is the unseen portion of our work in editing, rewriting, polishing, re-emphasizing phrases, clarifying motives all of the painstaking, thoughtful work of rebuilding songs that has gone into the product we call Weavers' songs.
'Kumbaya', for example, came to us as an African song which had only that one word; we added a few lines of English to make it into what it sounded like it ought to be, a lullaby.
And so with eight of the songs in this album: a rewrite of a song which made our grandparents shed a tear but which was just too sentimental for today; an interesting fragment which needed new verses to tell a whole story; a new last verse for another song to change the story to suit our taste; new verses for an old gospel song which came to us only as a chorus; and our re-arranging of all the songs to suit our vocal needs.
This is not to argue that all songs need changing; many do not, and with these our job is to re-create them for our- selves with as much of the original meaning and feeling as our understanding allows.
We have found that a group is more than the sum total of its parts. Figuring the various ages of our individual mem- bers, we represent more than a hundred years of work, all told, in folk music; but our work, and what we offer to our audience, is the result of those years focussed into ten short years of intensive study, research, writing, and performing.
Some of these songs were recorded with Pete Seeger (2, 4) and 7 on Side One; 6, 8 on Side Two). The other group songs were done with the newest member of the Weavers, Erik Darling.
We hope we may be excused if, assessing our first ten years, we feel proud that we have been able to create a repertory that did not exist before our group got together- that body of music which has come to be defined as 'Weavers' songs'.
-THE WEAVERS
Here's the guitar chords as played by The Pogues.
The intro, G C G C
in [G]eighteen hundred and[D] forty six
On [G]March the Eighteenth[D] day,
We [G]hoisted the colours to the [C]top of the mast
[G]And for greenland [D]sailed a[G]way brave boys
And for Greenland [D]sailed a[G]way
The intro, G C G C
in [G]eighteen hundred and[D] forty six
On [G]March the Eighteenth[D] day,
We [G]hoisted the colours to the [C]top of the mast
[G]And for greenland [D]sailed a[G]way brave boys
And for Greenland [D]sailed a[G]way
