'Twas early one morning, just as the sun rose,
That a voice from the masthead cried out, "There she blows!"
Our captain cried, "Where away, and how does he lay?"
"Three points on our lee, sir, scarce two miles away!"

"Then call up all hands, and be of good cheer!
Get your lines in your boats and your tackle-falls clear!
Hoist, men, then swing! Stand by, each boat's crew!
Lower away, lower away, as the main-yard swings to!"

We fought him alongside, harpoon we thrust in,
In just over an hour he rolled out his fin.
The whale is cut in, tried out and stowed down.
He's worth more to us, boys, than five hundred poun'.

Our ship she is laden, for home we will steer,
Where there's plenty of rum, boys, and plenty of beer,
We'll spend money freely for the pretty girls ashore,
And when it's all gone we'll go whaling for more.

For our captain has told us, and he says out of hand,
There's a thousand whales off the coast of New Zealand.
From New Zealand to the Sandy that was a good trip
For strong men with brave hearts aboard a whale ship.