Greenland Whale Fisheries

A traditional whaling song as arranged by Fred Hellerman and Pete Seeger in their days with the Weavers more than fifty years ago, performed by Jim Moran of the folk group The Chilly Winds from his solo album "Glen Lake Memories."

Seeger and Hellerman added the fragment of a Barbadian song that opens and closes the number and slowed the tempo down a bit from the original song, which has been covered dozens of times since the Weavers recording, notably by Luke Kelly and the Dubliners, The Pogues, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Theo Bikel, Judy Collins, and many more.

The video is a montage of mostly period illustrations from the height of the whaling era between 1800 and 1850.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• GreenlandWhaleFisheries
• ChillyWinds
• Clancys
• folk
• Kingstontrio

[NorStarReviews]

I wish I had a chance to work this fishery. Hard men, doing hard shit. I'm a commercial fishermen on a 150ft dragger, but could only imagine being a skiffman on a schooner harpooning a humpback dragging it back for my pay at the home port.

[CompVid101]

@NorStarReviews - well, you have yourself quite a demanding gig as it is, but I'll take your word for it. I have very often thought exactly the same thing - how did those men ever do such a job?

[james06241974]

A friend and myself recorded this for NPR in '05. He sang/played guitar, I played bass. A really fun song to play. Admittedly, we played it a smidge faster, but still kept the folk feel. Great song.

[CompVid101]

@james06241974 well, I'm riffing off of The Weavers version, which is slower than you normally hear it. BTW - I'd love to hear your version - is it available anywhere, or on a DVD perhaps?

[james06241974]

@CompVid101 Well, last I knew, it was on the North Country Public Radio website, UpNorth Music. com. perhaps it is still there. Look under Michael Primeau / James Oberg......

[NorStarReviews]

@CompVid101 Same thing every fishermen is after. Doesn't matter if it was 200 years ago, or yesterday. Money!!!. If a fishermen says he's doing it for the love of the sea, he's a liar, its all about the money! Men were a lot harder back then. Spending months in a sub zero frozen land far away from the home port, wearing old canvas jackets covered in seal fat for rain gear. No safety gear, or workers compensation, if you die your crew is split up between the crew, not sent home to your family.

[russfromdodge]

Dubliners are the best.......

[73neil73]

i know this song cos the pogues sing it but this is good too

[fanchbrezoneg]

Hi C V, as I said it a year ago , this version is excellent, but for me the best is by Judy Collins & Theo Bikel at Newport Festival ( 1964 ? ), the Judy's voice is perfect, a live performance by P P M is nice too. Excuse my poor english. Bye :