Save the Whales - Country Joe McDonald

One of my all time favorite Country Joe McDonald songs from his 1976 lp 'Paradise With an Ocean View.'

Something cool coming along the horizon of the water's edge, the sea will tell, the ocean dreams of the whales swimming free and easy. Joe nails it home in this tune.
Check out his music. A she might say now, "Give me an F........for Fish!!"

Save the Whales
Words and music by Joe McDonald

When my grandpa was a boy, he went down to the general store
Saw a picture book of a whale shooting its spout and flashin' its tail
Then he got a sailor's dream 'bout cruisin' around on the salty sea
Joinin' up with a fishin' crew to go out and get him a whale or two
Tell me what kind of men are these who sail upon the salty seas
Up in the rigging in the afternoon, swabbin' the decks and sharpenin' harpoons

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning

Shanghaied by the light of the moon, put out from Boston in the middle of June
After six months out at sea, it's nothin' but death and misery
Set out on a three-year cruise, a union ship and a union crew
And after six months you begin to see, that whalin's not what it used to be
A modern ship and a modern crew with sonar scopes and explodin' harpoons
A mechanical boat made outta steel, a floating machine built to kill the whales

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning

There're lots of whales in the deep blue sea, we kill them for the company
We drag 'em 'longside and chop 'em in two and melt 'em down and sell 'em to you
There hardly is a sailor alive who can keep the tears from his eyes
As he remembers the good old days when there were no whales to save
Thank the Russians and Japanese for scouring the deep blue seas
Looking for ivory and perfume and plastic toys and pet food

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning



Copyright © 1975 Alkatraz Corner Music Co BMI.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Country Joe McDonald
• whales
• paradise
• sea
• pirates
• art
• experimental
• short film

[spfairie]

It was GREAT to hear on Day After Earth Day! Such a treat! I am sure your crippled ass could come up with a few more songs, and if you will come to NJ or PA, i will be right there, front and center! You are my new fav next to Danger Mouse and Crazy Horse =]

[Garcia42]

@spfairie

Cool choices indeed, Danger Mouse and Crazy Horse. Country Joe still tours, catch him when you can.

[KnifemakingUnplugged]

Thanks for the kind words about our knifemaking. Im into barter. I will trade you copy of our dvd if you'll take the time to put Oh Jamaica here. Not many know this song and it isnt anywhere on youtube yet. The world needs more Jamaica mon.

[honeyroyellis]

I've sung this song for 25 years! If I had about 39 more just like it, I'd take my crippled ass back out and play again! Thanks for the post!!

[michellemolloy]

I completely concur! Bottled water..oy! The humanity...I'm embarrassed by the decadence and collective sense of entitlement that seems to be the norm today..Slaves to convenience and ridiculous technological gadgets we pay through the nose for while crying about the economy which is a day at the fair compared to the Great Depression. We have traded in our values and trashed our planet yet we have the unmitigated gall to whine about our current state of affairs C,Joe;s msg was/is prophetic.

[EndRacism2011]

@michellemolloy I know what you mean. The indigenous people of the Americas were into Greenpeace before the earth was something we had to save. I still can't wrap my head around selling land, bottling water, exploiting resources, monopolizing seeds,and not being able to self-sustain. Guess your dad had a good heart. ....Peace!

[Garcia42]

@michellemolloy

Of all the many many songs CJM did, this is the one i can listen to over and over.

Done years after his late 60s era, this song really was a cool song to hear. Glad you can relate.

Might do the same on Facebook, as the more hear, the better. Thanks. Keep listening to the music.

I live on the west coast and it has been awhile since i have seen one, guess in the drawings I did, the thought was there.....best

[michellemolloy]

@Garcia42 What a cool surprise to receive your response! I swear this song, note for note, never lost even a smidge of clarity in my memory over these many years which is a rare phenomenon...Comforting to hear that it left an indelible mark on you too and I wasn't just being melodramatic! The pics were in good taste I thought...I shared the link on my facebook wall instantly for it truly is prophetic and bears repeating. I live at the ocean and cant wait to see one for real!

[GlendaBronner]

these were the days. even the old dudes likes the free love. except they got it wrong. they mistook love for sex. two independant and different things.

[Garcia42]

@honeyroyellis

one of my favorite songs ever..........get back on the road...start with this song and end with this song and fill the rest with some cool songs, it'll all be perfecto. Glad you liked the post

[Garcia42]

@michellemolloy

Same here, a song that stuck with me since i was a kid too. And it still sounds as good. Glad you enjoyed. The drawings seemed to fit. Could you grab the song off here? Enjoy it.

[michellemolloy]

My dad used to play this album when I was just a little kid; so hauntingly beautiful..He was into Greenpeace, etc before it was even fashionable. Thanks so much for this, I've searched for this song for over thirty years.

[Garcia42]

@KnifemakingUnplugged

Thanks.......we had fun making that one, plus i had all those inkworks, nice to have a great song that works so well with the nautical ink drawings. Appreciate you saying that. We are talking on doing another film one of these days....keep them blades gorgeous and sharp, you do great work. A true craftsman you are......best Mark