THE SONG OF THE WORLD'S LAST WHALE

I heard the song
Of the world's last whale
As I rocked in the moonlight
And reefed the sail,
It'll happen to you
Also without fail,
If it happens to me
Sang the world's last whale.

It was down off Bermuda
Early last spring,
Near an underwater mountain
Where the humpbacks sing,
I lowered a microphone
A quarter mile down,
Switched on the recorder
And let the tape spin around.

I didn't just hear grunting,
I didn't just hear squeaks,
I didn't just hear bellows,
I didn't just hear shrieks.
It was the musical singing 
And the passionate wail
That came from the heart 
Of the world's last whale.

Down in the Antarctic
The harpoons wait,
But it's up on the land
They decide my fate.
In London town
They'll be telling the tale
If it's life or death
For the world's last whale.

So here's a little test
To see how you feel,
Here's a little test
For this Age Of The Automobile.
If we can save 
Our singers in the sea,
Perhaps there's a chance
To save you and me.

I heard the song
Of the world's last whale
As I rocked in the moonlight
And reefed the sail,
It'll happen to you
Also without fail,
If it happens to me
Sang the world's last whale.

Words and Music by Pete Seeger
(c) 1970 by Stormking Music, Inc.