The group has been performing locally since 1995, and signed a record deal with Universal Music in March 2010. Whilst essentially an a cappella group, their studio recordings and live performances now often include traditional simple instrumentation.
The Last Leviathan
The Fisherman's Friends Lyrics
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Then came a blast from a harpoon gun
And I swam alone
I reflected on days gone by, when we were thousands
Now I know I soon must die
The last leviathan
My soul has been torn from me and I am bleeding
As the beauty around me fails and I am screaming
I am the last of the great whales and I am dying
This morning the sun did rise, in a crimson north sky
The ice was the colour of blood and I heard the wind sigh
I rose up to take a breath, it was my last one
From a gun came the roar of death and now I'm undone
My soul has been torn from me and I am bleeding
My heart it has been ripped and I am crying
As the beauty around me fails and I am screaming
I am the last of the great whales and I am dying
And now that we all are gone, there will be no more hunting
The big fellow is no more and there's no use lamenting
What race will be next in line, all for the slaughter
The elephant or the seal or your sons or daughters?
My soul has been torn from me and I am bleeding
My heart it has been ripped and I am crying
As the beauty around me fails and I am screaming
I am the last of the great whales and I am dying
The Fisherman's Friends' "The Last Leviathan" is a somber and emotional tribute to the endangered whales that were hunted and killed for centuries. The lyrics tell the story from the perspective of the last remaining great whale, who reflects on the days when his kind roamed the oceans in the thousands. The chorus highlights the pain and fear that comes with the knowledge that the last of his kind is about to die.
The hauntingly beautiful lyrics paint a vivid picture of a world where beauty is being destroyed, as the great whale dies alone, with no one left to protect him. The song's message is clear: we must protect the fragile balance of nature and learn to live harmoniously with all creatures, great and small.
The use of vivid imagery in the song reflects the deep emotions felt by everyone who has worked to save the whale populations from extinction. Their beauty, intelligence and majesty, all come through in the song in a way that is both resonant and memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I heard the cry, of my last companion
The whale heard the sound of his last companion's death and cried out in sorrow.
Then came a blast from a harpoon gun
The whale was shot and killed by a harpoon gun.
And I swam alone
After the death of his companion, the whale was left to swim alone.
I reflected on days gone by, when we were thousands
The whale looked back on the past when there were many whales like him in the ocean.
Now I know I soon must die
The whale realizes that he too will soon be killed.
My soul has been torn from me and I am bleeding
The whale's soul is filled with pain and sadness, and he is physically wounded from the harpoon.
My heart it has been ripped and I am crying
The whale's heart is broken and he is crying out in pain.
As the beauty around me fails and I am screaming
The whale sees the beauty of the ocean deteriorating and cries out in despair.
I am the last of the great whales and I am dying
The whale knows that he is the last of his kind and is dying.
This morning the sun did rise, in a crimson north sky
The day begins with a red sunrise in the northern sky.
The ice was the colour of blood and I heard the wind sigh
The ice was red, as if stained with the blood of the whale. The wind laments the death of the whale.
I rose up to take a breath, it was my last one
The whale surfaces for air for the last time.
From a gun came the roar of death and now I'm undone
The whale is killed by a gunshot, and his life is over.
And now that we all are gone, there will be no more hunting
With the death of the last great whale, there will be no more hunting of these creatures.
The big fellow is no more and there's no use lamenting
The last great whale is gone, and there is no point in mourning.
What race will be next in line, all for the slaughter
The whale wonders which species will be hunted to extinction next, whether it be the elephant, the seal, or even humans.
The elephant or the seal or your sons or daughters?
The whale questions whether humans will be the next to face extinction due to their own actions.
Contributed by Gavin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.