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.
Guitar chords to all the verses.
[Verse 1]
[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.
[Verse 2]
[G]The lookout in the[D] crosstrees[G] stood With[C] spyglass[G] in his[D] hand; There's a[G] whale, there's a whale, there's[C] whalefish he cried And she[G] blows at[D] every[G] span, brave boys And she blows at[D] every[G] span.
[Verse 3]
[G]The captain stood on the[D] quarter[G] deck, And a[C] fine little[G] man was[D] he; "Over[G]haul, overhaul! Let your[C] davit tackles fall, And[G] launch your[D] boats for[G] sea, brave boys And launch your[D] boats for[G] sea.
[Verse 4]
[G]Now the boats were launched and the[D] men a[G]board, And the[C] whale was[G] full in[D] view. Re[G]solv-ed was each[C] seaman bold To[G] steer where the[D] whalefish[G] blew, brave boys To steer where the[D] whalefish[G] blew.
[Verse 5]
[G]We stuck the whale the[D] line paid[G] out, But she[C] gave a[G] flourish with her[D] tail, The[G] boat capsized and[C] four men were drowned, And we[G] never[D] caught that[G] whale, brave boys, And we never[D] caught that[G] whale.
[Verse 6]
[G]"To lose the whale," our[D] captain[G] said, It[C] grieves my[G] heart full[D] sore, But[G] oh! to lose (those)[C] four gallant men It[G] grieves me[D] ten times[G] more brave boys It grieves me[D] ten times[G] more.
[Verse 7]
[G]The winter star doth[D] now ap[G]pear, So,[C] boys we'll[G] anchor[D] weight; It's[G] time to leave this[C] cold country And[G] homeward[D] bear a[G]way, brave boys And homeward[D] bear a[G]way.
[Verse 8]
[G]Oh Greenland is a[D] dreadful[G] place A[C] land that's[G] never[D] green Where there's[G] ice and snow, and the[C] whalefishes blow And the[G] daylight's[D] seldom[G] seen brave boys But the daylight's[D] seldom[G] 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.
Guitar chords to all the verses.
[Verse 1]
[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.
[Verse 2]
[G]The lookout in the[D] crosstrees[G] stood With[C] spyglass[G] in his[D] hand; There's a[G] whale, there's a whale, there's[C] whalefish he cried And she[G] blows at[D] every[G] span, brave boys And she blows at[D] every[G] span.
[Verse 3]
[G]The captain stood on the[D] quarter[G] deck, And a[C] fine little[G] man was[D] he; "Over[G]haul, overhaul! Let your[C] davit tackles fall, And[G] launch your[D] boats for[G] sea, brave boys And launch your[D] boats for[G] sea.
[Verse 4]
[G]Now the boats were launched and the[D] men a[G]board, And the[C] whale was[G] full in[D] view. Re[G]solv-ed was each[C] seaman bold To[G] steer where the[D] whalefish[G] blew, brave boys To steer where the[D] whalefish[G] blew.
[Verse 5]
[G]We stuck the whale the[D] line paid[G] out, But she[C] gave a[G] flourish with her[D] tail, The[G] boat capsized and[C] four men were drowned, And we[G] never[D] caught that[G] whale, brave boys, And we never[D] caught that[G] whale.
[Verse 6]
[G]"To lose the whale," our[D] captain[G] said, It[C] grieves my[G] heart full[D] sore, But[G] oh! to lose (those)[C] four gallant men It[G] grieves me[D] ten times[G] more brave boys It grieves me[D] ten times[G] more.
[Verse 7]
[G]The winter star doth[D] now ap[G]pear, So,[C] boys we'll[G] anchor[D] weight; It's[G] time to leave this[C] cold country And[G] homeward[D] bear a[G]way, brave boys And homeward[D] bear a[G]way.
[Verse 8]
[G]Oh Greenland is a[D] dreadful[G] place A[C] land that's[G] never[D] green Where there's[G] ice and snow, and the[C] whalefishes blow And the[G] daylight's[D] seldom[G] seen brave boys But the daylight's[D] seldom[G] seen.
Greenland Whale Fisheries Sheet Music Notes
Greenland whale fisheries tenor guitar tab in CGDA
Shane MacGowan The Pogues Singer
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
🐋 Greenland Whale Fisheries
Type: Traditional sea song / ballad
Origin: British Isles (probably England or Ireland, early 18th century)
Earliest known version: c. 1725 (published in The Mariners’ Chronicle)
Roud Folk Song Index: Roud #347
Themes: Whaling, loss, courage, lament, sea life
Most Famous Recordings:
The Dubliners
The Pogues
A. L. Lloyd & Ewan MacColl
The Clancy Brothers
The Watersons
The Weavers (U.S. folk revival)
⚓ Historical Background
“Greenland Whale Fisheries” is a traditional whaling ballad that likely dates back to the early 18th century, during the height of the British and Irish whaling trade.
It recounts the perils of a whaling voyage to Greenland, one of the most dangerous and remote hunting grounds of the era.
Whaling expeditions from ports such as Hull, Whitby, Dublin, and Waterford often ventured into Arctic waters in search of the right whale and bowhead whale.
The song captures the danger of those journeys — the courage of the whalemen, the cruelty of the sea, and the tragedy of loss.
Type: Traditional sea song / ballad
Origin: British Isles (probably England or Ireland, early 18th century)
Earliest known version: c. 1725 (published in The Mariners’ Chronicle)
Roud Folk Song Index: Roud #347
Themes: Whaling, loss, courage, lament, sea life
Most Famous Recordings:
The Dubliners
The Pogues
A. L. Lloyd & Ewan MacColl
The Clancy Brothers
The Watersons
The Weavers (U.S. folk revival)
⚓ Historical Background
“Greenland Whale Fisheries” is a traditional whaling ballad that likely dates back to the early 18th century, during the height of the British and Irish whaling trade.
It recounts the perils of a whaling voyage to Greenland, one of the most dangerous and remote hunting grounds of the era.
Whaling expeditions from ports such as Hull, Whitby, Dublin, and Waterford often ventured into Arctic waters in search of the right whale and bowhead whale.
The song captures the danger of those journeys — the courage of the whalemen, the cruelty of the sea, and the tragedy of loss.
