Song of the Whale lyrics

1

The saddest sound I’ve ever heard

is the song of the humpback whale.

His moans and sighs and his eerie cries

sing a sad familiar tale;

he sighs and blows as if he knows

his race is nearly run,

and that soon with all of his kind he’ll fall

before the whaler’s gun.

For every living thing on Earth,

Nature made a space;

each a living strand of a fragile plan

that can never be replaced.

And not from need, but from wanton greed,

man has torn down Nature’s web;

with greed possessed, he will not rest

till the last of the whales is dead.

In my mind’s eye I can see them die

as the whaler finds his mark;

hear the muffled boom of that cruel harpoon

as it blasts their lives apart.

I see the flood of their rich dark blood

as it stains the ocean red;

that bloody green will not wash clean

till the last of the whales is dead.

The saddest sound I’ve ever heard

is the song of the humpback whale.

His moans and sighs and his eerie cries

sing a sad familiar tale;

he sighs and blows as if he knows

his race is nearly run,

and that soon with all of his kind he’ll fall

before the whaler’s gun.

1. Whales use sounds for communication, and they sound like songs, cries, clicks, etc. to us.

Humpback songs are particularly complex and structured, and evolve over time.

You can read more here and here (and more recordings here and here).

• Artist:Eric Bogle