Barretts Privateers

          G        C         Am  
Well, the year was Seventeen 
    G
Seventy Eight
   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
          G        D          G  
When the letter of marque was 
           Em
sent frae the king
       G         Am         Em   
To the scummiest vessel I'd ever 
C
seen

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 2]
     G        C       Am        G
Twas then Sid Barrett cried the town
   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
    G      D       G         Em
For twenty men all fishermen who
      G        Am      Em         
Would make for him the Antelope's 
C
crew

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 3]
    G        C           Am       
The Antelope sloop was a sickening 
 G
sight,
   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
       G       D            G    
With a list to port and her sails
    Em
 in rags
        G       Am                
And the cook in scuppers with the 
Em               C
staggers and the jags

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
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     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 4]
       G           C      Am     
On the King's birthday we sailed 
G
away,
   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
       G         D      G       
When a great big Yankee hove in 
Em
sight
         G       Am               
With our cracked four pounders we 
Em      C
made to fight

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 5]
          G        C         Am  
The Yankee lay low down with gold
    G

   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
        G       D       G        
She was low and fat and loose in 
    Em
the stays
       G                  Am       
But to catch her took the Antelope 
Em        C
two whole days

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 6]
          G        C         Am  
Then at length we stood two 
    G
cables away
   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
    G            D                
Our cracked four pounders made an 
G     Em
awful din
         G       Am       Em     
But with one fat ball the Yank 
      C
stove us in

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 7]
    G        C         Am        
The Antelope shook and pitched on
     G
 her side
   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
G            D             G     
Barrett was smashed like a bowl 
  Em
of eggs
         G        Am        Em   
And the Maintruck took away both 
   C
ma legs

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 8]
          G        C         Am  
So here I lay in my 23rd year
    G

   G      C      G          Am7
(I wish I was in Edinburgh now!)
G       D        G       Em
6 years since we sailed away
      G         Am      Em    C
And I just made Halifax yesterday

[Chorus]
    G
God damn them all!
      C          G       C        
I was told we'd sail the seas for 
 G        C
American gold
     G                    C/G
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
          G      C        G       
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax 
C
pier
            Am        D     G
The last of Barrett's Privateers