Transcribed by Meister Jaeger from The Watersons (1965)
The Diamond is a ship, me lads, for the Davis Strait she’s bound
And the quay it is all garnished with the bonnie lassies round
Captain Thompson gives the orders to sail the whole world wide
Where the sun it never sets, me lads, nor darkness dims the sky
And it’s cheer up, me lads, let your hearts never fail
For the bonnie ship the Diamond goes a-fishin’ for the whale
Along the quay at Peterhead where the lassies stand around
With their shawls all pulled about them and the salt tears running down
Now don’t you weep my bonnie lass, though we leave you behind
For the rose will grow on Greenland’s banks before we change our mind
Here’s a health to the Resolution, likewise the Eliza Swan
Here’s a health to the Battler of the Montrose[^2] and the Diamond, ship of fame[^3]
We wear the trousers of the white and the jackets of the blue
When we come home to Peterhead, we’ll have sweethearts in you
It will be bright both day and night when the Greenland lads come home
With a ship that’s full of oil, me lads, and money of our own
We’ll make the cradles for to rock and the blankets for to tear
And every lass in Peterhead sings “Hushabye, my dear”