Yankee Whalermen
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Barry Taylor

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Lyrics
These are American lyrics to a variant of the tune Spanish Ladies. They are from a newsgroup post and were taken from Jeff Warner at a Philadelphia Folksong Society Shanties Workshop in January 1973.

There is no approximate age given for the song. It is only listed as "famous old Naval song."

Farewell and adieu to you Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain
For we've received orders to sail from New England
And we hope in a short time to see you again
We'll rant and we'll roar like true Yankee Whalermen
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
Until we sight Gayhead off old Martha's Vineyard
And straight up the channel to New Bedford we'll go.

We hove our our ship to with the wind from the sou'west, boys.
We hove our our ship to deep soundings to take
'Twas 45 fathoms with light sandy bottom
We squared our main yard and up channel did make.
We'll rant and we'll roar like true Yankee Whalermen
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
Until we sight Gayhead off old Martha's Vineyard
And straight up the channel to New Bedford we'll go.

I went to a dance one night in Tombaz.
There were plenty of girls there as fine as you wish.
There was one pretty maiden a chewin' tobacco
Just like a young kitten a chewin' fresh fish.
We'll rant and we'll roar like true Yankee Whalermen
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
Until we sight Gayhead off old Martha's Vineyard
And straight up the channel to New Bedford we'll go.

Then the signal was sent for the grand ship to anchor
And all in the downs that night for to lie
Let go your shank painter, let go your cat stopper
Haul up your clew garnets, let tacks and sheets fly.
We'll rant and we'll roar like true Yankee Whalermen
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
Until we sight Gayhead off old Martha's Vineyard
And straight up the channel to New Bedford we'll go.

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