Barrett's Privateers
Stan RogersOh, 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 a-way
And I just made Halifax yester-day
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