Hang On John

G D C John Taylor left his native home D G After the whale-fish he did go D C From the Atlantic coast and around Cape Horn D G To the South Seas where the whale-fish blow D G Bm Oh it's, hang on, John Am G Soon you'll see your native shore D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G You'll see Nantucket's shores once more D C Well, his boat was sunk and his luck bein' gone D G Round a rocky island he made his home D C And he prayed and he hoped and he dreamed in vain D G For a ship to carry him home again D G Bm But it's, hang on, John Am G Soon you'll see your native shore D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G You'll see Nantucket's shores once more D C An old man come a-walkin' along the beach D G Harpoon in hand and a shining face D C "I come from my home on the rolling sea D G Carry you back to your native place" D G Bm So it's, hang on, John Am G Soon you'll see your native shore D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G You'll see Nantucket's shores once more D C Well, they sang and they rowed and they sang and sailed D G Till they spied them a newborn whale D C And the old man harpooned him in the back D G Out to sea they hauled their slack D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G Soon you'll see your native shore D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G You'll see Nantucket's shores once more G D C Well, they had not been sailin' but a month or more D G "Land ho!" was the old man's happy words D C And John saw the cliffs risin' from the sea D G Heard the cry o' Nantucket birds D G Bm Oh it's, hang on, John Am G Soon you'll see your native shore D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G You'll see Nantucket's shores once more D C Well, they never stopped when they reached dry ground D G But they hauled their slack into John's hometown D C And John got off at his own front door D G Never saw the old man or the whale anymore D G Bm Oh it's, hang on, John Am G Soon you'll see your native shore D G Bm And it's, hang on, John Am G You'll see Nantucket's shores once more