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Home Of The Whale Lyrics
Oh my love he works upon the sea
On the waves that blow wild and free
He splices the ropes and he sets the sail
While southwards he roams to the home of the whale
And he ne'er thinks of me far behind
Or the torments that rage in my mind
He is mine for only part of the year
Then I'm left all alone with only my tears
All ye ladies that smell of white rose
Thank ye for your perfume to wear on my gold
Thank ye all the wives and the babies that yearn
For the man ne'er returns from hunting the sperm [whale]
Oh my love he works upon the sea
On the waves that blow wild and free
He splices the ropes and he sets the sail
While southwards he roams to the home of the whale
On the waves that blow wild and free
He splices the ropes and he sets the sail
While southwards he roams to the home of the whale
Or the torments that rage in my mind
He is mine for only part of the year
Then I'm left all alone with only my tears
Thank ye for your perfume to wear on my gold
Thank ye all the wives and the babies that yearn
For the man ne'er returns from hunting the sperm [whale]
On the waves that blow wild and free
He splices the ropes and he sets the sail
While southwards he roams to the home of the whale
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Massive Attack and Caroline Lavelle! I ADORE this song. The meaning is pretty straightforward, I think. Sung from the perspective of a wife whose husband is a whaler who is hunting a sperm whale. (The elusive white whale!) He's away for months on end. She's depressed about it. He never returns, presumably because he dies at sea (thus, sleeping without a headstone).
I believe the correct 3rd stanza is:
All ye ladies that smell of wild rose Think you for your perfume of where a man goes Think you of the wives and the babies that yearn For the man ne'er returns sleeping without a stone
(Or that might be from another version of the song.)
This is on the Massive Attack singles, it's strange because I was like "Home of the Whale" the I got the box set and was like ohh ok. Good song though.