Song book

Sea Shanties

Barrett's Privateers
Northwest passage
The Wellerman
The Tendieman
Stan Hugill

Other

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Sea shanties

Barrett's Privateers

[Verse 1]
Oh, the year was 1778
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
A letter of marque came from the king
To the scummiest vessel I've ever seen

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's privateers

[Verse 2]
Oh, 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

[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

[Verse 4]
On the King's birthday, we put to sea
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
We were ninety-one days to Montego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way

[Verse 5]
On the ninety-sixth day, we sailed again
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

[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 the stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

[Verse 7]
Then at length, we stood two cables away
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

[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

[Verse 9]
So here I lay in my twenty-third year
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
It's been six years since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday

Northwest passage

[Chorus]
Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea

[Verse 1]
Westward from the Davis Strait 'tis there 'twas said to lie
The sea route to the Orient for which so many died
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered, broken bones
And a long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones

[Verse 2]
Three centuries thereafter, I take passage overland
In the footsteps of brave Kelsey, where his Sea of Flowers began
Watching cities rise before me, then behind me sink again
This tardiest explorer, driving hard across the plain

[Verse 3]
And through the night, behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west
I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest
Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me
To race the roaring Fraser to the sea

[Verse 4]
How then am I so different from the first men through this way?
Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away
To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men
To find there but the road back home again

The Wellerman

[Verse 1]
There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Billy O' Tea
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing is done
We'll take our leave and go

[Verse 2]
She'd not been two weeks from shore
When down on her a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow (huh)

Da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

[Verse 3]
Before the boat had hit the water
The whale's tail came up and caught her
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
When she dived down low (huh)

[Verse 4]
No line was cut, no whale was freed
The captain's mind was not of greed
And he belonged to the Whaleman's creed
She took that ship in tow (huh)

Da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

[Verse 5]
For forty days or even more
The line went slack then tight once more
All boats were lost, there were only four
But still that whale did go (huh)

[Verse 6]
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on
The line's not cut, and the whale's not gone
The Wellerman makes his regular call
To encourage the captain, crew and all (huh)

The Tendieman

[Verse 1]
There once was a stock that put to sea
The name of the stock was GME
The price blew up and the shorts dipped down
Hold, my bully boys, hold

[Chorus]
Soon may the Tendieman come
To send our rocket into the Sun
One day when the trading is done
We'll take our gains and go

[Verse 2]
She had not been two weeks from shore
When Ryan Cohen joined the board
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take his shares and hold

[Verse 3]
Before the news had hit the market
Wall Street bets came up and bought it
With diamond hands they knew they'd profit
If they could only hold

[Verse 4]
No deals were cut, no shorts were squeezed
The captain's mind was not on greed
But he belonged to the autist's creed
He took the risk to hold

[Verse 5]
For 40 days, or even more
The stock went up, then down once more
All gains were lost it was looking poor
But still those traders did hold

[Verse 6]
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on
The shorts not squeezed and the gains not won
The Tendieman makes his regular call
To encourage the captain, crew and all

Collection from Stan Hugill & Stormalong John: