'Tis advertised in Boston, New York, and Buffalo:
Five hundred brave Americans a-whalin' for to go
Chorus:
Singing Blow ye winds in the morning
Blow ye winds, high-ho!
Clear away your runnin' gear
And blow, boys, blow!
(or: And blow, ye winds high-ho!)
They send you to New Bedford, that famous whaling port
And give you to some land sharks to board and fit you out
They send you to a boardin' house, there for a time to dwell;
The thieves there they are thicker than the other side of Hell
They tell you of the clipper ships a-runnin' in and out
And say you'll take five hundred s**m before you're six months out
And now we're out to sea, my boys, the wind comes on to blow;
One-half the watch is sick on deck, the other half below
The skipper's on the quarterdeck a-squintin' at the sails
When up aloft the lookout spots a mighty school of whales
Then lower down the boats, my boys, and after him we'll travel
But if you get too near his tail, he'll kick you to the Devil
When we've caught a whale, my boys, we'll bring 'im alongside
Then over with our blubber-hooks and rob him of his hide
When we get home, our ship made fast, when we get through our sailin'
A brimming gla** around we'll pa**, and damn this blubber whalin'
Some singers invariably sing "me boys" for "my boys," and other variations occur, too
The song is sometimes called the "Boston Come-Ye-All,"( with the line "Come all you bold
Americans, a-whalin' for to go." in verse one ) and sometimes "Blow, Boys, Blow."