Barrett's Privateers

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

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

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

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

The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight

How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now

She'd a list to port and her sails in rags

And a cook in the scuppers with and staggers jags

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 maintruck carried off both me legs

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

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

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