Rolling Down To Old Maui

Lyrics courtesy of www.sailorsongs.com

from the 1859 log of the New Bedford Whaleship "Atkins Adams"  

It's a damned tough life full of toil and strife
We whale men undergo
And we don't give a damn when the day is done
How hard the winds did blow
For we're homeward bound from the Arctic ground
With a good ship taut and free
And we don't give a damn when we drink our rum
With the girls of Old Maui
Rolling down to Old Maui me boys
Rolling down to Old Maui
We're homeward bound from the Arctic ground
Rolling down to Old Maui

Once more we sail with a northerly gale
Through the ice and wind and rain
Them native maids them tropical glades
We soon shall see again
Six hellish months have passed away
One the cold Kamchatka Sea
But now we're bound from the Arctic ground
Rolling down to Old Maui.
Rolling down to Old Maui me boys
Rolling down to Old Maui
We're homeward bound from the Arctic ground
Rolling down to Old Maui

Once more we sail with a northerly gale
Towards our island home
Our mainmast sprung our whaling done
And we ain't go far to roam.
Our stuns'l bones is carried away
What care we for that sound
A living gale is after us
Thank God we're homeward bound.
Rolling down to Old Maui me boys
Rolling down to Old Maui
We're homeward bound from the Arctic ground
Rolling down to Old Maui

How soft the breeze through the island trees
Now the ice is far astern
Them native maids them tropical glades
Is a-waiting our return
Even now their soft brown eyes look out
Hoping some fine day to see
Our baggy sails running 'fore the gales
Rolling down to Old Maui
Rolling down to Old Maui me boys
Rolling down to Old Maui
We're homeward bound from the Arctic ground
Rolling down to Old Maui 

Lyrics courtesy of www.sailorsongs.com