Barrett's Privateers
The Real McKenzies Lyrics

Oh, the year was 1778
The year was 1778

How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
The singer wishes they were in Sherbrooke now

Well a letter of marque came from the king
A letter of marque came from the king

To the scummiest vessel I've ever seen
The ship receiving the letter of marque is the scummiest vessel the artist has ever seen

God damn them all! I was told
The artist damn all those involved for telling him that they would sail for American gold without firing any guns or shedding any tears

We'd sail the seas for American gold
The singer and his crew were to sail the seas for American gold

We'd fire no gun, shed no tear
They were not supposed to fire any guns or shed any tears

But I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
However, the artist is now a broken man on a pier in Halifax

The last of Barrett's Privateers
The artist is the last of Barrett's Privateers

Oh, Elcid Barrett cried the town
The town spoke highly of Elcid Barrett

For twenty brave men all fishermen who
Elcid Barrett recruited twenty brave fishermen

Would make up for the Antelope's crew
These fishermen would make up for the Antelope's crew

Now the Antelope she was a sickening sight
The Antelope was a sickening sight

She'd a list to the port and her sails in rags
Its sail was in bad shape and leaned to the port side

And the cook in the scuppers with the shakes and the jags
The cook was unwell and witless in the scuppers

And on the King's birthday we sailed away
They sailed away on the King's birthday

We were 97 days from Montego Bay
They were 97 days from Montego Bay

We were pumping like madmen all the way
During the trip, they were frantically pumping water out of the ship

And on the 98th day we sailed again
They sailed again on the 98th day

With a big fat American hove in sight
They saw a large American ship in their sights

Our cracked four pounders made to fight
They readied their cracked four-pound cannons to fight

That Yankee she lay low with gold
The American ship had plenty of gold and was heavily loaded down

She was big and fat and loose at the stays
The American ship was large and heavy, and its stays were not very secure

And to catch her took us three whole days
It took three days to catch the American ship

Well at last we stood two cables away
They finally stood two cables away from the American ship

Well our cracked four pounders made an awful din
Their cracked four-pound cannons made a terrible noise

But an American ball come staved us in
Unfortunately, the American ship's cannon had hit them

Now the Antelope shook and she pitched on her side
The Antelope shook and pitched on the side after being hit by the American's cannon

Well Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
Barrett was destroyed like a broken bowl of eggs

And the main truck took off both my legs
The mast's top section removed both of the singer's legs

So here I lay in my 23rd year
The singer now lays in his 23rd year

It's been 6 years since we sailed away
It's been six years since they sailed away

And I just made Halifax yesterday
The artist finally made it to Halifax yesterday

And you'll never find a better man far or near
Even though the artist is now a broken man, nobody can find a better man than him far or near.

I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The singer is still a broken man on a pier in Halifax

God damn them all! I was told
The artist is still damn those involved for telling him that they would sail for American gold without firing any guns or shedding any tears