The Downeaster Alexa

| Em Bm | D Em |
| Em Bm | D Em |

[Verse 1]
         G            D        Em
Well I'm on the Down- easter A- lexa
        G                D   
And I'm cruising through Block 
         C
Island Sound.
       C         G           
I have charted a course to the 
  Am
Vineyard.
       G           D         Em
But to- night I am Nantucket bound

[Chorus 1]
C            D             G    
  We took on diesel back in 
            C
Montauk yester- day,
C               D               
  And left this morning from the
Em                D
 bell in Gardiner's Bay.
C               D                
  Like all the locals here I've 
G             C
had to sell my home,
C               D                 
  Too proud to leave, I worked my 
Em            D
fingers to the bone

[Verse 2]
          G             D      Em
So I could own my Down- easter A- 
lexa
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      G             D       C
And I go where the ocean is deep.
           C         G            
There are giants out there in the 
Am
canyons.
      G            D            
And a good captain can't fall a- 
Em
sleep

[Chorus 2]
C        D               G      
  I got bills to pay and 
           C
children who need clothes.
C                D                
  I know there's fish out there 
 Em              D
but where, God only knows.
C                 D            G
  They say these waters aren't 
                 C
what they used to be.
C              D              Em
  But I've got people back on 
               D
land who count on me.

[Bridge]
             G           D        
So when you see my Down- easter A- 
Em
lexa
           G             D        
And if you work with the rod and 
   C
the reel,
       C          G           
Tell my wife I am trolling At- 
Am
lantis,
     G            D           Em
And I still have my hands on the 
wheel.

[Instrumental Bridge]
| Em Bm | D Em |
| Em Bm | D Em |
| Bm  D | A  Bm |
| Em Bm | D  Em |

[Verse 3]
       G             D         Em
Now I drive my Down- easter A- lexa
        G                 D       
More and more miles from shore 
   C
ev'ry year,
           C         G             
Since they told me I can't sell no 
Am
stripers.
           G           D          
And there's no luck in sword 
   C
fishing here.

[Chorus 3]
C         D              G      
  I was a bayman like my father 
        C
was be- fore.
C               D           Em  
  Can't make a living as a 
        D
bayman any-  more.
C                  D            
  There ain't much future for a 
G                 C
man who works the sea.
C                    D           
  But there ain't no island left 
    Em            D
for islanders like me.