That happy finger prods us on
To bid farewell to Albion
To sail onto the Greenland seas
And to the unknown seas beyond
And now we crawl, unhappy band
Ten yards an hour across the frozen sand
And now the heavens sway
A hand extends but I slap it away

A barren shore upon our right
Upon our left an endless white
That happy finger at our prow
As we rolled through the Arctic night
But soon like filaments of mould
The frost encroached and we no longer rolled
And now the ship is gone
I close my eyes and lay my face upon
The frozen sand
My King William's Land

I will not land on fairer shores
Scrape muddy bottom with my oars
O finger, leave my side
No longer will you guide my course!

Back home the public all ablaze
Trace dotted arrows through the maze
That happy finger urges on
And some poor luckless fool obeys
And when he sees my frozen grin
Where will that happy finger lead him then?
And now I close my eyes
I'll stay right here, that happy finger lies