Originally From: Barrie McCombs - Modified by Daniel Sadler
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| Asterisk (*) new measure, play same chord
| Period (.) 1/8 note rest at start of a measure
| Underline (_) sustain note into next measure
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[Verse 1]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 2]
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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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 3]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 4]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 5]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 6]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 7]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 8]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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
[Verse 9]
*
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
[Chorus]
*
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