Old Polina

Great Big Sea

There's a noble fleet of whalers
They're sailing from Dundee
Manned by British sailors
That take them o'er the sea
On a western ocean passage
We started on the trip
We flew along just like a song
On a gallant whaling ship
Was the second Sunday morning
Just after leaving port
We met a heavy sou'west gale
And washed away our boat
It washed away our quarterdeck
Our stanchions just as well
And so we set the whole shebang
A-floatin' in the gale

[Chorus]
For the wind was on our quarter
The engines working free
There's not another whaler
That sails the arctic sea
Can't beat the Old Polina
You need not try my sons
We challenged all both great and small
From Dundee to St John's

Art Jackman set his canvas
Fair Weather galloped steam
And Captain Guy, the daring boy
Came plunging through the stream
And Mullins in the Husky
Tried to beat the bloody lot
But to beat the Old Polina boys
Was something he could not

[Chorus]

There's the noble terra Nova
A model without doubt
The Arctic and Aurora
They talk so much about
Art Jackman's model mail boat
The terror of the sea
Tried to beat the Old Polina
On a passage from Dundee

[Chorus]

Now we're back in old St John's
Where rum is very cheap
We'll drink a health of Captain Guy
Who brought us o'er the deep
A health to all our sweethearts
And to our wives so fair
Not another ship could make the trip
The Polina I declare

[Chorus: x2]