From the recording Blue Water
Thirty some-odd years ago I was inspired to write this song. I could never quite get it right though, and put it away and there it sat for three decades. This year I pulled it out, rewrote it, reharmonized it, and worked out a guitar part. You won’t know the song, but you’ll recognize the story for certain. I rather like it now.
Lyrics
Ch: Lower the boats, boys, and hard at that whale
I heard our captain cry
We’ve ventured half-way ‘round this world under sail
To make that white whale die
Nantucket’s fair harbor we left outward bound
A fair wind behind us, ahead the whaling ground
Our stuns’ls all set and a following sea
The Cape of Good Hope rising hard on our lee
And many’s the great whale who lost his life
At the hands of our brave harpooneers
Those men of flesh and blood like iron bands
Who, like our captain, knew no fear
Ch:
Then through the dark night in an unending toil
Our try works stoked high rendered whale into oil
‘Til at last gave our captain that fearful command
“There’s one whale more ere we make for dry land"
And not a one of us dared speak his mind
When he roared out, “Me boys, I am the law
I’d strike the sun if it insulted me
Likewise I’d strike the hand of God,"
Ch:
Then high in the cross-trees there came the wild shout
“The white whale, the white whale, the white whale she spouts,"
Our captain himself drove that cold harpoon in
But quicker than lightning our boats was stove it
Oh Captain, my Captain, farewell to thee
Gone down to the bottom with that whale
And likewise brave Ishmael, God-speed to thee
And live to tell the world the tale
Ch:
Nantucket’s fair harbor we left outward bound
No more to return from the southern whaling ground