For a sailor “the promised land” (Holy Ground in the Bible) is nothing more than an area of the harbour or a street full of inns, pubs and taverns where to have fun with drinks, women and songs!
The sea shanty (forebitter) Holy ground is preferred by the Irish whalers, and resumes its melody and part of the text from another sea shanty titled “Off to Sea Once More” or “Go to see Once More” (from uncertain origins too).
There the sailor regrets being forced to go to sea again, because he has already spent all the money getting drunk and being robbed by a whore, in “The Holy Ground Once More” the sailor, being already on a whaler in the Arctic Sea, regrets not being on the Holy Ground! (Wolfe Tones version)
Link
http://terreceltiche.altervista.org/holy-ground/
http://terreceltiche.altervista.org/go-to-sea-once-more/
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=15375
The Holy Ground once more
(Wolfe Tones)
I
As I rolled(1) into Frisco, boys,I went upon the street
I drank and gambled all night long, as drunk as I could be
I drank and gambled all night long, till I could drink no more
‘Twas then that I thought that I’d like
to be back in the Holy Ground once more
CHORUS
Once more, boys, once more,
the Holy Ground once more
II
I shipped on the Angeline, me boys, down for the Arctic Sea
Where cold winds blow, amid frost and snow,
Was as cold as it could be, where cold winds blow
Amid frost and snow, but the good old ship she did roll
‘Twas then that I thought that I’d like
to be back in the Holy Ground once more
III
We weren’t long in the Arctic Sea, when we had spied a whale
With harpoon in my icy hands, to hit I dare not fail
With harpoon in my icy hand, I shot but I struck before
‘Twas then that I thought that I’d like
to be back in the Holy Ground once more
IV
When you’re aboard a whaling ship, with storms and gales afore
Your mind is in some public house, that lies upon the shore
Your mind is in some public house, that lies upon the shore
‘Twas then that I thought that I’d like
to be back in the Holy Ground once more
NOTES
(1) in the sea shanty the term rolling is used to indicate the somewhat oscillating walk typical of the sailor due to long periods spent on the rolling ships
