It’s a rough tough life
Full of toil and strife we whalers undergo
And we don’t give a damn when the gale is done
How hard the winds do blow
So we’re homeward bound, it's a damn fine sound
With a good ship taut and free
And we don’t give a damn when we drink our rum
With the girls of old Maui

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys
Rolling down to old Maui
We’re homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling down to old Maui

Once more we sail with a northerly gale
Through the ice and sleet and rain
And the coconut fronds on them tropic isles
We soon shall see again
Six hellish months have passed away
In the cold Kamchatka sea
But now we’re bound from the arctic ground
Rolling down to old Maui

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys
Rolling down to old Maui
We’re homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling down to old Maui

How warm the breeze of the tropical seas
Now the ice is far astern
And them Hawaiian maids on them island glades
Are awaiting our return
And their big black eyes even now look out
Hoping someday they will see
Our baggy sails running 'fore the gales
Rolling down to old Maui

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys
Rolling down to old Maui
We’re homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling down to old Maui

Once more we sail with a favorable gale
Aye, towards our island home
Our mainmast sprung, and our whaling's done
And we ain’t got far to roam
Our studs’l booms are carried away
What care we for that sound?
A living gale is after us
Thank God we’re homeward bound!

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys
Rolling down to old Maui
We’re homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling down to old Maui

And now we’re anchored in the bay with Kanakas all around
With chats and stuff, aloha way they greet us homeward bound
And now ashore we’ll have good fun we’ll paint them beaches red
Lying in the arms of Hawaiian maids with a big fat aching head

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys
Rolling down to old Maui
We’re homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling down to old Maui