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Version 1Originally From: Barrie McCombs - Modified by Daniel Sadler ******************************************************* | Asterisk (*) new measure, play same chord | Period (.) 1/8 note rest at start of a measure | Underline (_) sustain note into next measure ******************************************************* [Verse 1] C * G C Oh, the year was seventeen seventy-eight * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * A letter of marque came from the king * * G F To the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 2] C * G C Well, Elcid Barrett cried the town * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * For twenty brave men, all fishermen, who * * G F Would make for him the Antelope's crew [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 3] C * G C The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * She'd a list to the port and her sails in rags * * G F And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 4] C * G C On the King's birth-day we put to sea * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * We were ninety-one days to Mon-tego Bay * * G F Pumping like madmen all the way [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 5] C * G C On the ninety-sixth day we sailed a-gain * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight * * G F With our cracked four-pounders, we made to fight [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 6] C * G C The Yankee lay low down with gold * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * She was broad and fat and loose in stays * * G F But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 7] C * G C Then at length we stood two cables a-way * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * Our cracked four-pounders made an awful din * * G F But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 8] C * G C The Antelope shook and pitched on her side * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs * * G F And the main-truck carried off both me legs [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers [Verse 9] C * G C So here I lay in me twenty-third year * F C G (*) How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now C G C * It's been six years since we sailed a-way * * G F And I just made Halifax yester-day [Chorus] G C * F God damn them all, I was told, C F C F We'd cruise the seas for A-merican gold G C G F (*) We'd fire no guns, shed no tears C F C F But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier * * G C The last of Barrett's Priva-teers