The text of this song is in Gale Huntington's Songs The Whalemen Sang, from the logbook of the whaleship Three Brothers, Nantucket, 1846. The English singer Tim Laycock gave it a tune. It, too, was sung at the memorial for Steve Adams. Row on, Steve!
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Clouds are upon the summer sky
There's thunder in the wind
Pull on, pull on and homeward hie
Nor give one look behind
Row on, row on, another day
May shine with brighter light
Ply, ply the oars and pull away
There's dawn beyond the night
Bear where thou goest the words of love
Say all that words can say
Changeless affection, strength to prove
But speed upon the way
Like yonder river would I glide
To where my heart would be
My barque should soon outsail the tide
That hurries to the sea
But yet a star shines constant still
Through yonder cloudy sky
And hope as bright my bosom fills
From faith that cannot die
Row on, row on, God speed the way
Thou canst not linger here
Storms hang about the closing day
Tomorrow may be clear
Clouds are upon the summer sky
There's thunder in the wind
Pull on, pull on and homeward hie
Nor give one look behind.
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