Standard (EADGBE)

 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

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 Oh Euclid 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

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 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

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 On the king's birthday we put to sea

 How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now

 We were ninty-one days to Montego Bay

Pumping like madmen all the way

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 On the ninethy-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

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 The Yankee lay low down with gold

 How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now

 She was broad and fat and loose with stays

 But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 Then at length we stood two cables away

 How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now

 Our cracked four-pounders made an aweful din

 But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 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

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

 So here I lay in the 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

 Goddamn them all

I was told

 We'd cruse the seas for American gold

 We'd fire no guns

Shed no tears

 I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier

 The last of Barrett's privateers

Slowly:

I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier (hold it)

 The last of Barrett's privateeeeeerrrrssss (go wild on the C)