HEAVE AWAY

Lyrics and Music: Harry Robertson

To the coast of New South Wales
the ship‘Britannia’ sails,
With live lumber in her hold
and the trade winds blowing cold,
Heave away — to the south me lads,
the Sperm whales do blow.

Fifty days away from land
convicts dying out of hand,
But we hove them o’er the side
one-and-twenty to the tide,
Heave away — to the south me lads,
the Sperm whales do blow.

Sydney town with rum and girls
some in rags and some in frills,
But we turn our ship around
heading for the whaling ground,
Heave away — to the south me lads,
the Sperm whales do blow.

Now it’s steady as we go
with our harpoon set to throw,
And we’ll kill that angry whale
’fore he kills us with his tail,
Heave away — to the south me lads,
the Sperm whales do blow.

For a year and then one more
whaling off New Zealand’s shore,
’Til our casks are full of oil
and we’re weary with the toil,
Heave away — to the south me lads
the Sperm whales do blow.

Back to England we’ll set sail
with the riches of the whale,
But we know that we’ll return
on the convict whaling run,
Heave away — to the south me lads,
the Sperm whales do blow.

© Harry Robertson
and subsequently ©1995 Mrs Rita Robertson, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA.
Registered with APRA/AMCOS www.apra-amcos.com.au