Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor

"Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor" is a traditional Newfoundland and Labrador folk song. It is a comical retelling of the Jonah tale, with a Newfoundland whaler as protagonist, but in this instance the whale gets his comeuppance.

It may have been adapted from a New York City music-hall song "Every Inch a Sailor", which itself was a burlesque of "HMS Pinafore".

This song was covered by Canadian children's singing group Sharon, Lois and Bram on The Elephant Show.

Lyrics

Upon the isle of Newfoundland there lived a sailor boy<br /> He was a handsome sailor lad, his father's pride and joy<br /> He was born on board his father's ship on a dark and stormy morn<br /> And he helped the crew harpoon a whale on the day that he was born<br /> Chorus:

Jack was every inch a sailor

Five and twenty years a whaler

Jack was every inch a sailor

He was born upon the bright blue sea

When Jack grew up to be a man he sailed from shore to shore<br /> He sailed his ship around the world a dozen times or more<br /> Harpooning whales was play to him for he was very strong<br /> And he was also very tall and his beard was very long<br /> CHO

One night while Jack was standing watch a storm began to blow<br /> It blew so hard that soon the ship was tossing to and fro<br /> A great big wave rolled up to Jack and washed him to the rail<br /> And he was tossed into the sea and swallowed by a whale<br /> CHO

Now when that whale had swallowed Jack it soon began to shake<br /> For this old whale had got himself a mighty stomach ache<br /> Well now, said Jack, this poor old whale don't know what he's about<br /> And he grabbed that whale all by the tail and pulled him inside out<br /> CHO

Another version of the song is this:

'Twas twenty-five or thirty years since Jack first saw the light,

He came into this world of woe one dark and stormy night;

He was born on board his father's ship as she was lying to,

'Bout twenty-five or thirty miles southeast of Baccalieu.

::CHORUS:

:Oh, Jack was every inch a sailor,

:Five and twenty years a whaler;

:Jack was every inch a sailor,

:He was born upon the bright blue sea.

When Jack grew up to be a man he went to the Labrador,

He fished in Indian Harbour where his father fished before;

On his returning in the fog he met a heavy gale,

And Jack was swept into the sea and swallowed by a whale.

::CHORUS

Oh, the whale went straight for Baffin Bay, 'bout ninety knots an hour,

And every time he'd blow a spray he'd send it in a shower;

Oh, now, says Jack unto himself, I must see what he's about,

He caught the whale all by the tail and turned him inside out.

::CHORUS

References

See also

• List of Newfoundland songs