Barrett's Privateers

Oh, the year was 1778 How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! Well a letter of marque came from the king To the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers Oh, Elcid Barrett cried the town How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! For twenty brave men all fishermen who Would make up for the Antelope's crew God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers Now the Antelope she 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 scuppers with the shakes and the jags God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers And on the King's birthday we sailed away How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! We were 97 days from Montego Bay We were pumping like madmen all the way God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers And on the 98th day we sailed again How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! With a big fat American hove in sight Our cracked four pounders made to fight God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers Well that Yankee she lay low with gold How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! She was big and fat and loose at the stays And to catch her took us three whole days God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers When at last we stood two cables away How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! Well our cracked four-pounders made an awful din But an American ball came staved us in God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers Now the Antelope shook and she pitched on her side How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! Well, Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs And the main truck took off both my legs God damn them all I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers So here I lay in my 23rd year How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! Well it's been 6 years since we sailed away And I just made Halifax yesterday God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers God damn them all! I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold We'd fire no gun, shed no tear Well I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier And you'll never find a better man far or near I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier The last of Barrett's Privateers