Info
This shanty probably originated as a Scottish fisherman’s song. It was also popular with Gloucester fishermen in the American Northeast.
Lyrics
(Sea shanty)
1. Come, all ye young sailormen, listen to me,
I’ll sing you a song of the fish of the sea.
Refrain
Then blow, ye winds, westerly, westerly blow,
We’re bound to the south’ard so steady she goes.
2. Oh, first came the whale, the biggest of all;
He clumb up aloft and let every sail fall. Refrain
3. And next came the mack’rel with his strip-ed back;
He hauled aft the sheets and boarded each tack. Refrain
See also
- Countries: Scotland / Northeastern states (U.S.)
- Subjects: ballads / sea shanties / sailors / whales
- Form: AB
- Harmony: chords I IV V
- Meter: 3
- Scale: major
- Source: Singing in Harmony,Ginn and Company, 1957
- more lyrics
YouTube
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
