Burl Ives - Paddy and the Whale lyrics

Burl Ives - Paddy and the Whale

Chorus:

Caterwaulin', tarpaulin

Harpoonin' and all

Paddy Maloney left Ireland in glee

He had a strange notion to sail the Ross Sea

He shipped in a whalecatcher South Georgia bound

And the way that she pitched made his head go around

Paddy had never been whaling before

It made his heart leap when he heard the loud roar

The lookout he cried that a whale he had spied

Begod, says poor Pat, I'll be ate by and by

Now Paddy run for'ard and reached for the mast

He caught it a gripper and there he held fast

The boat gave a tip and poor Pat lost his grip

And into the whale's belly the silly fool slipped

He was in that whale's belly six months and a day

Till one morning by luck to its throat he made way

The whale gave a hoosh, boys, and then she did blow

And a mile in the air went old Paddy Maloney

Paddy got spat out quite safe on the shore

He swears that he'll not go to sea any more

And the next time he follows a venturesome notion

It'll be when the railway runs over the ocean