G G G C D G
[Verse 1]
G
Oh She went down last October,
C D G
In a pouring driving rain,
Am
The skipper he'd been drinking and
C D
The mate he felt no pain,
G
Out close to Three Mile Rock and
C G
She was dealt her mortal blow then
Am D
The Mary Ellen Carter settled low.
G
There was just us four aboard her,
C G
When she finally was awash,
Am
We worked like hell to save her,
C D
All heedless of the cost, but
G
The groan she made as she went down,
C G
It caused us to proclaim,
Am D G
That the Mary Ellen Carter would rise again.
[Chorus]
Am D G
Rise again, rise again,
C C
May her name not be lost,
G D
To the knowledge of men,
G
All those who loved her best and who
C D G
Were with her 'til the end,
Am D G
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.
[Break]
G G G C D G
[Verse 2]
G
Well the company wrote her off,
C D G
Not a nickel would they spend,
Am
"She gave twenty years of service, boys,
C D
Then met her sorry end.
G
But insurance paid the loss to us,
C G
Then let her rest below",
Am
Then they laughed at us, and
D
Said we had to go.
G
But we talked of her all winter,
C G
Sometimes days around the clock.
Am
She's worth a quarter million,
C D
A-floating at the dock, and
G
With every jar that hit the bar,
C G
We swore we would remain and
Am D G
Make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!
[Chorus]
Am D G
Rise again, rise again,
C C
May her name not be lost,
G D
To the knowledge of men,
G
All those who loved her best and who
C D G
Were with her 'til the end,
Am D G
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.
[Break]
G G G C D G
[Verse 3]
G
All spring now we've been with her,
C D G
On a barge lent by a friend.
Am
Three dives a day in a hardhat suit, and
C D
Twice I've had the bends.
G
Thank God it's only sixty feet, and
C G
The currents here are slow, or
Am
I'd never have the strength,
D
To go below.
G
So we patched her rents, stopped her vents,
C G
Dogged hatch, and Portholes down,
Am
Put cables to her, fore and aft and
C D
Girded her around,
G
Tomorrow noon, we hit the air and
C G
Then take up the strain, and
Am D G
Make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again
[Chorus]
Am D G
Rise again, rise again,
C C
May her name not be lost,
G D
To the knowledge of men,
G
All those who loved her best and who
C D G
Were with her 'til the end,
Am D G
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.
[Break]
G G G C D G
[Verse 4]
G
Well we couldn't leave her there,
C D G
You see to crumble into scale.
Am
She'd saved our lives, so many times,
C D
Fighting through the gale, and
G
The laughing, drunken rats,
C G
Who led her to a sorry grave, well
Am D
They won't be laughing in another day, and to
G C G
You, to whom adversity, has dealt it's mortal blow,
Am
With smiling bastards lying to you,
C D
Everywhere you go,
G
Turn to, and put out all your strength,
C G
Of arm, and heart and brain, and
Am D G
Like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!
[Chorus 2]
Am D G
Rise again, rise again,
C C
Though your heart, it be broke, and your
G D
Life about to end,
G
No matter what you've lost,
C D G
Be it a home, a love, a friend,
Am D G
Like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!
Am D G
Rise again, rise again,
C C
Though your heart, it be broke, and your
G D
Life about to end,
G
No matter what you've lost,
C D G
Be it a home, a love, a friend,
Am D G
Like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!
