G D
Westward from the Davis Strait,
A Bm
'Tis there was said to lie,
G D
The sea route to the Orient,
Em G
For which so many died,
G D
Seeking gold and glory,
A Bm
Leaving weathered broken bones, and
G D A Bm
A long forgotten lonely cairn of stones.
[Chorus]
D A
Ah, for just one time,
G Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
G D
To find the hand of Franklin,
Em G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
D A
Tracing one warm line,
G Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G D A D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.
[Verse 2]
G D
Three centuries there - after,
A Bm
I take passage over land,
G D
In the footsteps of brave Kelso,
Em G
Where his "sea of flowers" be-gan.
G D
Watching cities rise before me,
A Bm
Then be - hind me sink a -gain,
G D
This tardiest ex - plorer,
A Bm
Driving hard, a - cross the plains.
[Chorus]
D A
Ah, for just one time,
G Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
G D
To find the hand of Franklin,
Em G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
D A
Tracing one warm line,
G Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G D A D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.
[Verse 3]
G D
And through the night be - hind the wheel,
A Bm
The / mileage clicking west,
G D
I think upon Mac - kenzie,
Em G
David Thompson, and the rest,
G D
Who cracked the mountain ramparts, and
A Bm
Did show a path for me,
G D A D
To race the roaring / Fraser, to the sea.
[Chorus]
D A
Ah, for just one time,
G Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
G D
To find the hand of Franklin,
Em G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
D A
Tracing one warm line,
G Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G D A D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.
[Flute Solo]
D / A / G / Bm
G / D / Em / G
D / A / G / Bm
G / D / A / D
(same as chorus)
[Verse 4]
G D
How then am I so different,
A Bm
From the first men through this way,
G D
Like them, I left a settled life,
Em G
I threw it all a - way,
G D
To seek a Northwest Passage,
A Bm
At the call of many men,
G D A Bm
To find there, but the road back home a - gain.
[Chorus]
D A
Ah, for just one time,
G Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
G D
To find the hand of Franklin,
Em G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
D A
Tracing one warm line,
G Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G D A D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.