Dundee Whaler, The

DESCRIPTION: "Come all ye brisk young whalers and listen tae me, You think that the life is saw bonnie and free," but the singer vows that, if he makes it back to Dundee, he'll never whale again. The singer describes his miserable voyage
AUTHOR: Nigel Gatherer (source: Gatherer-SongsAndBalladsOfDundee)
EARLIEST DATE: 1986 (Gatherer-SongsAndBalladsOfDundee)
KEYWORDS: whaler sailor hardtimes
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Gatherer-SongsAndBalladsOfDundee 23, "The Dundee Whaler" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [78 words]: There is no evidence that Nigel Gatherer's song is traditional, but to set a song about whaling in Dundee is certainly fitting. In the days when whalers used only sail, they set out from everywhere, but as sail gave way to steam, Dundee gradually acquired a monopoly on the industry (for this, see the notes to "The Old Polina"), and the routine, as described in the song, was to set out from Dundee, resupply in Newfoundland, and then head north to take the whales. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.5
File: Gath023

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