Story Behind The Song

Contemporary Canadian, Stan Rogers performed/recorded this tune which the Dustbunnies learned between Clancy/Makem/Moore tunes.

Song Description

Sea shanty about the voyage to a warmer clime.

Lyrics

Rollin' Down to Old Maui

It's a damn tough life full of toil and strife
we whalermen undergo.
And we don't give a damn when the gale is done, how hard the wind did blow.
'Cause we're homeward bound from the arctic ground with a good ship taught and free.
And we won't give a damn when we drink our rum with the girls of old Maui.

Chorus: Rolling down to old Maui, me boys. Rolling down to old Maui.
We're homeward bound from the arctic ground.
Rolling down to old Maui.

Once more we sail with a northernly gale through ice and wind and rain.
Those coconut fronds, them tropical lands, we soon shall see again.
Six hellish months we passed away on the cold Kamchatka sea.
But now we're bound from the arctic ground, rolling down to old Maui. (chorus).

Once more we sail the northerly gale towards our island home.
Our main mast sprung, our whaling done.
And we ain't got far to roam.
Our stun's'l bones is carried away, what care we for that sound.
A living gale is after us. Thank God, we're homeward bound.
Rolling down to old Maui. (chorus).

How soft the breeze through the island trees, now the ice is far astern.
Them native maids, the tropical glades is awaiting our return.
Even now their big brown eyes look out hoping some fine day to see.
Our baggy sails running 'fore the gales.
Rolling down to old Maui.

Chorus.