Barrett's Privateers Lyrics

Originally From: Barrie McCombs - Modified by Daniel Sadler
Oh, the year was seventeen seventy-eight
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
A letter of marque came from the king
To the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
Well, Elcid Barrett cried the town
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
For twenty brave men, all fishermen, who
Would make for him the Antelope's crew
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
She'd a list to the port and her sails in rags
And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
On the King's birth-day we put to sea
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
We were ninety-one days to Mon-tego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
On the ninety-sixth day we sailed a-gain
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight
With our cracked four-pounders, we made to fight
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
The Yankee lay low down with gold
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
She was broad and fat and loose in stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
Then at length we stood two cables a-way
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Our cracked four-pounders made an awful din
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
The Antelope shook and pitched on her side
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the main-truck carried off both me legs
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
So here I lay in me twenty-third year
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
It's been six years since we sailed a-way
And I just made Halifax yester-day
God damn them all, I was told,
We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Priva-teers
SYMBOLS:
- Asterisk (*) = new measure, play same chord
- Period (.) = 1/8 note rest at start of a measure
- Underline(_) = sustain note into next measure