Originally From: Barrie McCombs - Modified by Daniel Sadler
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
C * G C
On the ninety-sixth day we sailed a-gain
* F C F (*)
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
C G C *
When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight
* * G C
With our cracked four-pounders, we made to fight
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/stan_rogers/barretts_privateers_crd_ver_2.html ]
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
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 C
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days
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
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 C
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in
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
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 C
And the main-truck carried off both me legs
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
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 C
And I just made Halifax yester-day
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
SYMBOLS:
- Asterisk (*) = new measure, play same chord
- Period (.) = 1/8 note rest at start of a measure
- Underline(_) = sustain note into next measure
