Blow Ye Winds
Traditional:
The New Bedford Whaling Song - Listen to a sample of the song or buy it with our Sea Shanty Store recorded by Roger Chartier on his "Sailor Songs" CD
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com
G
It was advertised in Boston , New York and Buffalo
C G D
A hundred hearty sailors a whaling for to go
CHORUS After each verse
G
Singing Blow ye winds in the morning and blow ye winds hi ho
C G D G
Haul away the running gear and blow boys blow
G
They’ll take you to New Bedford that famous whaling port and
C G D
Hand you to some landsharks to board and fit you out
They tell you of the clipper ships a going in and out
They say you’ll take 500 sperm before your six months out
CHORUS
It’s now were out to sea my boys the wind comes on to blow
Half the watch is sick on deck the other half below
CHORUS
But as for provisions we don’t get half enough
A little piece of stinking beef and a blamed small bag of duff .
CHORUS
Next comes the running rigging which you’re all supposed to know
Lay aloft you son of a gun or overboard you’ll go
CHORUS
The skippers on the quarter deck a squinting at the sails
When up aloft the lookout spots a mighty school of whales
CHORUS
Now clear away the boats my boys and after him we’ll travel
But if you get too near his fluke he’ll kick you to the devil
CHORUS
Now we’ve got him turned up we’ll tow him alongside
Over with our blubber hooks and we’ll rob him of his hide.
CHORUS
Now comes the stowing down, my boy, ‘twill take both night and day
You’ll all get two bits after six months to the day
CHORUS
The author of this website has put a lot of time and effort into gathering the greatest collection of sea shanties for the world to enjoy - There are songs that have been to sung to a job of work at sea for many, many years and collecting them has been a great endeavour. - Roger Chartier has made the effort out of his own interest and the requests that he has gotten to do this work from fellow musicians who wanted a good source of sea shanties to draw on and learn from. He has been told that for this effort he is a remarkable man.
