Ballad Of The Yarmouth Castle

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: Gord Broom 

 

		THE BALLAD OF THE YARMOUTH CASTLE
		     Gordon Lightfoot (C) 1969

    Transcribed by Gord Broom 
 
  , 1994. (Version 1.0)

NOTES:

 This song appeared originally on the "Sunday Concert" live album.
 Capo at the second fret and fingerpick.  At the end of the first and
 third lines of each verse, use a G/Gsus4/G riff.  At the end of the
 second and fourth lines, use an 
  Am/
  Asus4/
  Am/
  Asus2/
  Am riff.  I've
 transcribed it from the "Original Lightfoot" boxed set.  Thanks to
 Matthew Fifer 
  
    for sending me the lyrics
 off the "Sunday Concert Plus" CD which corrected a couple of my "hear-os."


CHORDS:

	  
   Am	  
   C	  
   G	 
   Asus2	 
   Asus4	 
   Gsus4
	xo231o	x32o1o  32ooo4	xo23oo	xo234o  32oo14
	======	======	======	======	======	======
	||||o|	||||o|	||||||	||||||	||||||	||||o|
	||oo||	||o|||	|o||||	||oo||	||oo||	|o||||
	||||||	|o||||	o||||o	||||||	||||o|	o||||o


SONG:

 [Capo 2nd Fret]

 
   Am                         
   C              
   G
 Well it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the anchors have been weighed,
      
   Am       
   G            
   Am
 From Miami to Nassau, she's bound across the waves.
			       
   C             
   G
 She's a-headin' south through Biscayne Bay, into the open sea,
     
   Am                         
   G               
   Am
 The Yarmouth Castle's, she's a-dying and don't know it!


	    
   Am               
   C                  
   G
 There were many years she's been to sea, she's seen the better times,
     
   Am               
   G               
   Am
 She gives a groan of protest as they cast away her lines.
	 
   Am             
   C               
   G
 And the grumble of her engines and the rust along her spine,
	   
   Am               
   G         
   Am
 Tells the Castle she's too old to be sailing.


         
   Am            
   C                   
   G
 But the sands run out within her heart, a tiny spark glows red,
 
   Am                    
   G          
   Am
 Smoulders through the evening as laughter overhead,
     
   Am                           
   C
 Now when dinner's served and the cards are dealt, & the
       
   G
       drinks are passed around,
 
   Am               
   G             
   Am
 Deep within, the fire starts a-burning.


          
   Am              
   C             
   G
 Now it's midnight on the open sea, the moon is shining bright,
      
   Am              
   G         
   Am
 Some people join the party and others say goodnight.
         
   Am           
   C                  
   G
 There's many who are sleeping now, it's been a busy day,
         
   Am            
   G          
   Am
 And the tiny whisp of smoke is a-risin'.


     
   Am                  
   C                
   G
 "Oh lord," she groans, "I'm burnin', let someone understand!"
         
   Am             
   G             
   Am
 But her silent plea is wasted in the playin' of the band!
      
   Am                    
   C                  
   G
 Everybody's dancin' on the deck and they're a-havin' such a time,
       
   Am           
   G                     
   Am
 And a voice says, "Shut up and deal, I'm losin'"


      
   Am                  
   C          
   G
 Deep within the Yarmouth Castle the fire begins to glow,
    
   Am             
   G            
   Am
 It leaps into the hallways and climbs and twists and grows!
         
   Am                
   C                  
   G
 And the paint she wore to keep her young, oh Lord, how well it burns!
     
   Am            
   G       
   Am
 And soon that ol' fire is ragin'.


       
   Am                    
   C                  
   G
 Now beneath the bridge it's climbing fast, the captain stands alone
    
   Am              
   G              
   Am
 He calls up to the bos'un, says, "Bos'un, we are lost!"
 
   Am                          
   C         
   G
 For the ragged hoses in the racks, no pressure do they hold,
     
   Am            
   G                
   Am
 The people down below will soon be dyin'.


     
   Am                     
   C                 
   G
 All amidship's, oh she's a-blazin' now, it's spreadin' fore and aft!
     
   Am           
   G                 
   Am
 The people are a-scramblin' as the fire blocks the path.
     
   Am            
   C                       
   G
 The evil smoke surrounds them and they're fallin' in their tracks,
         
   Am             
   G             
   Am
 And the captain in his lifeboat is a-leavin'.


 BREAK: 
   Am / (
   B) / 
   C/ 
   G / 
   Am / 
   G / 
   Am


    
   Am              
   C                
   G
 Oh then the ship Banana Star, comes steamin' through the night,
     
   Am              
   G                
   Am
 She sees the Castle blazin' and 'tis a terrible sight.
  
   Am                         
   C                     
   G
 "Jump down, jump down," the captain cries, "we'll save you if we can!"
         
   Am           
   G            
   Am
 And the paint on his funnels is a-fryin'.


     
   Am                
   C               
   G
 God help the ones who sleep below and cannot find the way,
       
   Am               
   G        
   Am
 Thank God for those we rescued upon this awful day!
         
   Am              
   C            
   G
 Now the heroes they are many but the times are goin' slim,
     
   Am                
   G           
   Am
 And now from stern to bow she's a-blazin'.


        
   Am                
   C              
   G
 Oh the Yarmouth Castle's moanin', she's cryin' like a child,
         
   Am              
   G         
   Am
 You can hear her if you listen above the roar so wild.
        
   Am             
   C            
   G
 Is she cryin' for the ones who lie within her molten sides,
    
   Am         
   G             
   Am
 Or cryin' for herself I'm a-wonderin'?


         
   Am               
   C            
   G
 But the living soon were rescued, the ones who lived to tell,
          
   Am          
   G                  
   Am
 From the Star they a-watched her as she died there in the swells.
        
   Am            
   C             
   G
 Like a toy ship on a mill pond she burned all through the night,
      
   Am                  
   G            
   Am
 Then slipped beneath the waves in the mornin'.