Richard Shindell - Humpback Whale Lyrics

written by Harry Robertson

Fifty six I sailed aboard
A ship called Byron One
She's carried trawler men on deck
And a harpoon whaling gun

Chorus:
Oh you trawlermen, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale

A tractor for a whale winch
And the ship's an all fair mile
Twin diesels turn the screws around
She'll whale in a fine old style

[ chorus ]

Keep a sharp look-out my lads
The whale he's on the run
And we'll drive him into Byron Bay
And we'll shoot him with our gun

[ chorus ]

The harpoon and the line fly through
Very deep into the whale
She split the timbers of the ship
With a flurry of her tail

[ chorus ]

The rugging struts are snapped in two
We reel beneath the blow
The gunner fires a killer shot
And that humpback's sent below

[ chorus ]

Make the tail fast to the bows
We got no more time for bed
For four and twenty hours each day
We kept that factory fed

[ chorus ]

The friends and men upon the land
Some had been Jackaroos
They skin the blubber from the whales
Like they were skinning kangaroos

[ chorus ]

A hundred whales and then fifty more
Through the factory we did send
And then the orders came - knock off me lads
Your season's at an end

[ chorus ]

Back in to Ballina we steered
Tied up and stowed the gear
All hands headed for the pub
And we filled ourselves with beer

[ chorus ]