“Blow High Blow Low”
Description
"Blow high blow low let tempests tear The mainmast by the board My heart with thoughts of thee my dear And love well stored Shall brave all danger scorn all fear...." As the sailor works and rests aboard ship, he remembers his love
Supplemental text
Blow High Blow Low
Complete text(s)
*** A ***
From Huntington, Songs the Whalemen Sang, pp. 256-257. From the
1847 journal Williams Histed of the ship Cortes from New Bedford.
Note the curious dropping of lines in the second and third stanzas.
Blow high blow low let tempests tear
The mainmast by the board
My heart with thoughts of thee my dea
And love well stored
Shall brave all danger scorn all fear
The roaring wind the raging sea
In hopes on shore once more to be
Safe moored with thee
Aloft while mountains high we go
The whistling winds that scud along
And the surges roaring from down below
Shall be my signal to think on thee
Shall be my signal to think on thee
And this shall be my song.
And all that night while all the crew
The memory of their former lives
O'er flowing cans of flip renew
And drink their sweethearts and their wives
I'll heave a sigh and think of thee
As the ship rolls through the sea.
References
- Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 256-257, "Blow High Blow Low" (1 text)
- ST SWMS256 (Full)
- Roud #2069
- BI, SWMS256