Rolling Down to Old Maui
Traditional - Lyrics from Shanties from the Seven Seas, by Stan Hugill
- It's a damned tough life, full of toil and strife
- We whalermen undergo.
- And we don't give a damn when the gale has stopped
- How hard the wind did blow.
- We're homeward bound! 'Tis a grand old sound
- On a good ship taut and free,
- And we don't give a damn when we drink our rum
- With the girls on old Maui.
Rolling down to old Maui, my boys,
Rolling down to old Maui.
We're homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling home to old Maui.
- Once more we sail with a northerly gale
- Through the ice and sleet and rain.
- And them coconut fronds in them tropic lands
- We soon shall see again.
- Six hellish months we've passed away
- In the cold Kamchatka sea,
- And now we're bound from the arctic ground,
- Rolling down to old Maui.
- We'll heave the lead where old Diamondhead
- Looms up on old Wahoo.
- Our mast and yards are sheathed with ice
- And our decks are hid from view.
- The horrid tiles of the sea-cut ice
- That deck the Arctic Sea
- Are miles behind in the frozen wind
- Since we steered for old Maui.
- How soft the breeze of the tropic seas
- Now the ice is far astern,
- And them native maids in them island glades
- Are awaiting our return.
- Even now their big black eyes look out
- Hoping some fine day to see
- Our baggy sails running 'fore the gales
- Rolling down to old Maui.
- And now we sail with a favoring gale
- Towards our island home.
- Our mainmast sprung, our whaling done,
- And we ain't got far to roam.
- Our stuns'l booms are carried away
- What care we for that sound?
- A living gale is after us,
- Thank God we're homeward bound!
- And now we're anchored in the bay
- With the Kanakas all around
- With chants and soft aloha oes
- They greet us homeward bound.
- And now ashore we'll have good fun
- We'll paint them beaches red
- Awaking in the arms of a wahine
- With a big fat aching head.