The Humpback Whale Lyrics

'56, I sailed on board a ship called Byron One

She's carried trawler men on deck and a harpoon whaling gun

A tractor for a whale winch and the ship's an old fair mile

Twin diesels turned the screws around, she'll whale a fine old style

Oh you trawler men, come on, forget your snapper and your prawn

For it's out of Ballard we'll sail, fishing for the humpback whale

Keep a sharp look out, my lads, the whale she's on the run

And we'll drive her into Byron bay and we'll shoot her with our guns

The harpoon and the lines fly through very deep into the whale

She split the timbers of the ship with a flurry of her tail

Oh you trawler men, come on, forget your snapper and your prawn

For it's out of Ballard we'll sail, fishing for the humpback whale

The rigging struts are snapped in two, we reel beneath the blow

The gunner fires a killer shot and that humpback sent below

Make her tail fast to the bows, we got no time for bed

For four and twenty hours each day, we kept that factory fed

Oh you trawler men, come on, forget your snapper and your prawn

For it's out of Ballard we'll sail, fishing for the humpback whale

The flensing men upon the land, some had been jackaroos

They skin the blubber from the whales like they're skinning kangaroos

A hundred whales and then fifty more, through the factory we did send

Then the orders came 'Knock off, my lads, your season's an end

Oh you trawler men, come on, forget your snapper and your prawn

For it's out of Ballard we'll sail, fishing for the humpback whale

Back into Baliner we steered, tied up and stowed the gear

All hands headed for the pub and we filled ourselves with beer

Oh you trawler men, come on, forget your snapper and your prawn

For it's out of Ballard we'll sail, fishing for the humpback whale