Fifty-six I sailed on board
A ship called Byron One
She's carried trawler men on deck
And a harpoon whaling gun
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
A tractor for a whale winch
And the ship's an old Fairmile
Twin diesels turn the screws around
She'll whale in a fine old style
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
Keep a sharp look-out me lads
The whale he's on the run
And we'll drive him into Byron Bay
And we'll shoot him with our guns
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
The harpoon and the line fly through
Very deep into the whale
She split the timbers of the ship
With a flurry of her tail
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
The rigging struts are snapped in two
We reel beneath the blow
The gunner fires a killer shot
And that humpback sank below
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
Make her tail fast to the bows
We've got no time for bed
For four and twenty hours each day
We kept that factory fed
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
The flensing men upon the land
Some had been jackaroos
They skin the blubber from the whales
Like they're skinning kangaroos
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
A hundred whales and then fifty more
Through the factory we did send
And then the orders came - knock off me lads
Your season's at an end
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale
Back into Ballina we steered
Tied up and stowed the gear
All hands headed for the pub
And we filled ourselves with beer
Oh you trawler men, come on
Forget your snapper and your prawn
For it's out of Ballina we'll sail
Fishing for the humpback whale