Am                              Em
Gather 'round for a story to be had
     Am                     Em
Of a six foot six strapping lad
     Am                                  Em
He'd enlist to the navy of his own port stead
   Am                           Em
To make a name and then return home

[Verse 2]
   Am                      Em
A towering man, quiet and shy
    Am                                     Em
He hugged his kids and kissed his wife goodbye
        Am                        Em
And he said young Billy don't you cry
    Am                   Em
For soon I'll be coming home
         Am                       Em
And she wished Johnny would stay home

[Verse 3]
 Am                         Em
Johnny came aboard with a gleam in his eye
       Am                           Em
On the dock below, there stood his wife
 Am                                Em
Smiling and waving as she said goodbye
       Am                         Em
And to me she yelled bring Johnny home

[Verse 4]
 Am                       Em
Never had we seen such a vaulting man
        Am                                      Em
With a thirst for knowledge and a course well planned
     Am                            Em
He spoke of his family again and again
       Am                 Em
And a life he soon would sow
         Am              Em
Yea we'd all see Johnny home

[Verse 5]
         Am                      Em
And we'd all see Johnny home someday
        Am                          Em
To his wife and kids, assuring it' okay
         Am                          Em
And we'd eat and we'd drink and we'd end the day
       Am               Em
With a sad 'ol sailors song

[Verse 6]
         Am                      Em
And we'd all see Johnny home someday
      Am                                              Em
We'd reminisce and we'd laugh and we'd watch the kids play
          Am                             Em
And we'd talk about how we're going to spend our days
         Am             Em
Yea we'd all see Johnny home

[Verse 7]
     Am                      Em
The captain was an undaunted man
   Am                                 Em
He swore he knew his enemy all first hand
       Am                       Em
And we knew someday he make his stand
   Am                    Em
If again their paths did cross

[Verse 8]
       Am                         Em
It was dark as hell on a ghostly night
    Am                      Em
The canon fire was the only light
    Am                      Em
And what we saw next was a sickening sight
        Am                 Em
And the captain's life was gone
           Am                        Em
And to the battle, we all saw Johnny run

[Verse 9]
Am                                      Em
Johnny jumped in without a fear for his life
       Am                          Em
As the enemy boarded us starboard side
         Am                              Em
We were fifteen down and dropping like flies
Am                            Em
When I saw Johnny's eyes turn red

[Verse 10]
       Am                                 Em
And he let forth a scream and a ravenous might
        Am                                      Em
With a pistol in his left and a cutlass in his right
        Am                             Em
Like a wild hurricane he commenced to fight
      Am                   Em
This battle's not finished yet!
       Am                Em
And to Johnny we owe our debt

[Verse 11]
         Am                      Em
And we'd all see Johnny home someday
        Am                           Em
To his wife and kids, assuring it's okay
         Am                                   Em
And we'd eat and we'd drink and we'd end the day
       Am               Em
With a sad 'ol sailors song

[Verse 12]
         Am                      Em
And we'd all see Johnny home someday
      Am                                              Em
We'd reminisce and we'd laugh and we'd watch the kids play
          Am                                      Em
And we'd talk about how we're going to spend our days
         Am             Em
Yea we'd all see Johnny home

[Verse 13]
         Am                                Em
Then the crew joined in until their ship we breeched
   Am                            Em
We all had the vigor of ten men each
     Am                       Em
And some did die and some did flee
           Am                 Em
But in the end our crew stood tall

[Verse 14]
       Am                                  Em
And we all looked to Johnny now covered in blood
    Am                                     Em
He collapsed to his knees, cursing heaven above
       Am                          Em
For me punishment here what have I done
       Am                     Em
And he muttered I failed them all
       Am             Em
And we all saw Johnny fall

[Verse 15]
       Am                       Em
And we all saw Johnny home that day
       Am                            Em
To his wife and kids, assuring it's okay
       Am                                      Em
And we told them of the battle on the fifth of May
Am                        Em
And not a braver man had fought

[Verse 16]
       Am                                 Em
And we all broke down when she started to cry
        Am                                    Em
And she fell down beside him and she said goodbye
          Am                              Em
And the children fell in with her by her side
     Am                         Em
And for their loss, time stood still

[Verse 17]
     Am                              Em
Then anger ensued for the months of prayers
            Am                                        Em
That went unanswered and she drew back her long dark hair
       Am                                           Em
And we all watched as she died a little bit right there
         Am                       Em
And she stood and addressed me as sir
      Am                     Em
Thank God you brought Johnny home