Home Of The Whale

Song Info On Home Of The Whale

Primarily Found On:

Massive Attack E.P.

Also Found On:

The links below will take you either to the Collector section of MASSIVEATTACK.IE, or to an external website - either amazon.com or discogs.com, where you can find out more about all the the album (s)/release (s) that this particular Massive Attack song appears on.

Signed Sealed Delivered (2), Singles 90/98

First Released On:

10th February 1992

Duration:

04:08

Variations/Remixes:

N/A

Credits:

Written by Owen Hand

Produced by Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall, Andrew Vowles and Caroline Lavelle

Cello by Caroline Lavelle

Engineered by Geoff Hunt

Sampled:

N/A

Covered:

N/A

Vocalist(s):

Caroline Lavelle

Lyrics:

Oh my love he works upon the sea
On the waves that blow wild and free
He splices the ropes and he sets the sail
While southwards he roams to the home of the whale

And he ne'er thinks of me far behind
Or the torments that rage in my mind
He is mine for only part of the year
Then I'm left all alone with only my tears

All ye ladies that smell of white rose
Thank ye for your perfume to wear on my gold
Thank ye all the wives and the babies that yearn
For the man ne'er returns from hunting the sperm

Oh my love he works upon the sea
On the waves that blow wild and free
He splices the ropes and he sets the sail
While southwards he roams to the home of the whale

History:

Home Of The Whale was the product of Massive Attack wanting to do something radically different soon after the release of Blue Lines. The natural response to this thinking was the unortodox move of covering an old Irish folk song. They hooked-up with the soon to be singer of the song, Caroline Lavelle, singer and cellist whom they met in London, UK. It was Caroline Lavelle's idea that they cover this particular song as she had first heard it being sung by Mary Black, an Irish folk artist, when she was working with her during the eighties in Ireland, and had loved it ever since.

Additional Info:

Caroline Lavelle, some years later would redo Home Of The Whale with Marius De Vries, a former Massive Attack collaborator himself.

Just to clear the issue up, Caroline Lavelle is of no relation to James Lavelle of U.N.K.L.E, another frequent Massive Attack collaborator.

Live Appearances:

Home Of The Whale has never once been played live.

Quotes:

Daddy G on Home Of The Whale - "As soon as you think you've got Massive Attack sussed they do something like this - an Irish folk song!" [Melody Maker Magazine – Febuary 1992]

Caroline on the original version of Home Of The Whale - "I heard it years ago in Ireland and loved it immediately. I could fill a whole album with versions I've made of it. I think when there is a really special song you can frame it in so many different ways" [www.musicaldiscoveries.com - September 2001]