C                      F          G
Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads
C        F           G
A whale of a tale or two
C        F                     Am          G
'Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved
    C          F             C    G
On nights like this with the moon above
  C          F        C        G
A whale of a tale and it's all true
C          G  C
I swear by my tattoo

          Am      F        C              G
There was Mermaid Minnie, met her down in Madagascar
Am        F        C                     G
She would kiss me, any time that I would ask her
Am       F           C        Em        G
Then one evening her flame of love blew out
C                G
Blow me down and pick me up!
C    G     Em        C
She swapped me for a trout

C                      F          G
Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads
C        F           G
A whale of a tale or two
C        F                     Am          G
'Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved
    C          F             C    G
On nights like this with the moon above
  C          F        C        G
A whale of a tale and it's all true
C          G  C
I swear by my tattoo

           Am     F       C              G
There was Typhoon Tessie, met her on the coast of Java
Am       F       C                      G
When we kissed I bubbled up like molten lava
Am        F          C        Em       G
Then she gave me the scare of my young life
C                 G
Blow me down and pick me up!
C   G       Em        C
She was the captain's wife

C                      F          G
Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads
C        F           G
A whale of a tale or two
C        F                     Am          G
'Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved
    C          F             C    G
On nights like this with the moon above
  C          F        C        G
A whale of a tale and it's all true
C          G  C
I swear by my tattoo

               Am         F
Then there was Harpoon Hannah
C                         G
Had a look that spelled out danger
Am           F              C
My heart quivered when she whispered,
G
"I'm there, stranger"
Am             F
Bought her trinkets
C                   Em  G
That sailors can't afford
C             Em  G
(Sailors can't afford)
C                G
And when I spent my last red cent
C                G           C
She tossed me overboard!

C                      F          G
Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads
C        F           G
A whale of a tale or two
C        F                     Am          G
'Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved
    C          F             C    G
On nights like this with the moon above
  C          F        C        G
A whale of a tale and it's all true
C          G  C
I swear by my tattoo