Barretts Privateers

From: Barrie McCombs 

 

BARRETT'S PRIVATEERS   Time: 2/2   Tenor: D   Bass: C
- Stan Rogers, 1976, on: Fogarty's Cove, Between The Breaks, Home In Halifax


        1        *         5       1
Oh, the year was seventeen seventy-eight
      *      4      1          5     (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
  1         5           1        *
A letter of marque came from the king
       *         *          5    4
To the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen


CHORUS:
    5         1    *     4
God damn them all, I was told,
     1          4          1       4
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
     5       1     5       4     (*)
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
          1      4        1       4
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
    *       *         5     1
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers


    1     *       5         1
Oh, Elcid Barrett cried the town
      *      4      1          5    (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
    1            5        1          *
For twenty brave men, all fishermen, who
      *        *       5          4
Would make for him the Antelope's crew

    1        *           5         1
The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight
      *      4      1          5    (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
        1           5            1        *
She'd a list to the port and her sails in rags
        *           *                 5            4
And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags

       1            *      5      1
On the King's birth-day we put to sea
      *      4      1          5    (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
        1          5           1    *
We were ninety-one days to Mon-tego Bay
*            *      5       4
Pumping like madmen all the way


GO TO PAGE TWO

BARRETT'S PRIVATEERS     page 2


       1            *      5        1
On the ninety-sixth day we sailed a-gain
      *      4      1          4    (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
       1            5      1       *
When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight
         *            *            5       1
With our cracked four-pounders, we made to fight


    1      *       5         1
The Yankee lay low down with gold
      *      4      1          5     (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
        1         5       1        *
She was broad and fat and loose in stays
       *                  *        5         1
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

        1         *         5        1
Then at length we stood two cables a-way
      *      4      1          5     (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
    1            5                1     *
Our cracked four-pounders made an awful din
         *       *             5        1
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in


    1        *         5              1
The Antelope shook and pitched on her side
      *      4      1          5     (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
1           5              1       *
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
        *          *           5       1
And the main-truck carried off both me legs


   1      *         5            1
So here I lay in my twenty-third year
      *      4      1          5     (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
     1        5              1        *
It's been six years since we sailed a-way
      *         *       5      1
And I just made Halifax yester-day


NOTES:
- Stan Rogers sings acapella
- Parody: Garnet's Homemade Beer (see under Ian Robb)

SYMBOLS:
- Asterisk (*) =  new measure, play same chord
- Period (.)   =  1/8 note rest at start of a measure
- Underline(_) =  sustain note into next measure

CHORDS (Number System):
- Example:     1    2    3    4    5    6    7
- Key of 
 C:    
 C    
 D    
 E    
 F    
 G    
 A    
 B
- Detailed description: /pub/guitar/other_stuff/numbering_system.txt

- Submitted by:  Barrie McCombs (bmccombs@acs.ucalgary.ca)