When my grandpa was a boy, he went down to the general store
Saw a picture book of whales, shootin' his spout and flashin' his tail
Then he go, a sailor's dream, cruisin' around on the salty sea
Joinin' up with a fisher crew go out and get him a whale or two
Tell me what kind of men are these that sail upon the salty seas
Lovin' and drinkin' in the afternoon, swabbin' the deck and sharpnin' harpoons

Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises
So early in the morning

Lots of whales in the deep blue sea, we kill them for the companies
Drag 'em alongside and chop 'em in two, melt them down and sail it to you
There hardly is a sailor alive, who can keep a tear from his eye
Cause he remembers the good old days when there were no whales to save
Thank the Russians and the Japanese for scouring the deep, blue sea
Lookin' for ivory and perfume, all the light you'll ever need

Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises
So early in the morning

Shanghi got a lot on the move, put out from Boston in the middle of June
Thirty-six months out at sea is nothing but death and misery
Set off on a three year cruise, Union ship and a Union crew
And after six months he began to see, whalin' not what it used to be
A modern ship and a modern crew, occalascopes and explodin' harpoons
A mechanical boat made of steel,
A floatin' machine just to kill all the whales

Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises
So early in the mornin'

When my grandpa was a boy, he went down to the general store
Saw a picture book of whales, shootin' his spout and flashin' his tail
Then he got a sailor's dream, cruisin' around on the salty sea
Joinin' up with a fisher crew go out and get him a whale or two
Tell me what kind of men are these that sail upon the salty seas
Lovin' and drinkin' in the afternoon, swabbin' the deck and sharpnin' harpoons

Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises Hooray, up she rises
So early in the morning