Frobisher Bay
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"Frobisher Bay" was written by Canadian folk musician James Gordon and released on the 1993 album of the same name with his band at the time, Tamarack. The lyrics tell of a whaling crew stranded by ice and forced to overwinter in the Canadian Arctic.
The Longest Johns released a cover of the song on YouTube on 6 June 2024.
Factoids
Frobisher Bay is an inlet of the Davis Strait on the southeastern corner of Baffin Island in northeastern Canada. It was first visited by Europeans in search of the Northwest Passage in 1576, though they thought it was a strait until further exploration in 1861.[1]
The Davis Strait between Canada and Greenland was used for whale hunting as early as the 1650s, lasting until the early 20th century.[2]
Lyrics
As performed in the video
Cold is the arctic sea
Far are your arms from me
Long will this winter be
Frozen in Frobisher Bay
Frozen in Frobisher Bay
"Oh, one more whale," our captain cried
"One more whale, then we'll beat the ice."
But the winter star was in the sky
The seas were rough; the winds were high
{Chorus}
And cold is the arctic sea
Far are your arms from me
Long will this winter be
Frozen in Frobisher Bay
Frozen in Frobisher Bay
Oh, deep were the crashing waves
That tore our whaler's mast away
And dark are these sunless days
Waiting for the ice to break
{Chorus}
Oh, strange is the whaler's fate
To be saved from the raging waves
Only to waste away
Frozen in this lonely grave
{Chorus}