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Barrett’s Privateers Lyrics by Irish Descendants

We Are the Irish Descendants

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Oh, the year was 1778
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
A letter of mark 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 American gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
I'm a broken man on a Halifax Peer
The last of Barrett's Privateers

Well, Elcid Barrett cried the town
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
For twenty brave men all fisherman who
Would make for him the "Antelope's" crew

(REPEAT CHORUS)
The "Antelopes" sloop was a sickening sight
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
She had a list to the port and her sails in rags
And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags

(REPEAT CHORUS)
On the king's birthday we put to sea
("How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
It was ninety one days to Montigo Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way

(REPEAT CHORUS)
On the ninety sixth day we sailed again
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight
With our cracked four-pounders we made to fight

(REPEAT CHORUS)
The Yankee lay low down with gold
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
She was broad and fat and loose in stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

(REPEAT CHORUS)
Then at length we stood two cables away
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
Our cracked four-pounders made an awful din
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in

(REPEAT CHORUS)
The Antelope shook and pitched on her side
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
Well Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the Maintruck carried off both me legs

(REPEAT CHORUS)
So here I sit in my twenty-third year
( "How I wish I was in Sherbrook now!")
It's been six years since I sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday

(REPEAT CHORUS)
Credits
Irish Descendants

Irish Descendants

About “Barrett’s Privateers” by Irish Descendants

Read the complete lyrics to "Barrett’s Privateers" by Irish Descendants from the album "We Are the Irish Descendants". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Irish Folk, Folk.

"Barrett’s Privateers" is performed by Irish Descendants. from the album "We Are the Irish Descendants" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Barrett’s Privateers", explore more songs by Irish Descendants using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Irish Descendants · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Barrett’s Privateers" is credited to Irish Descendants. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Barrett’s Privateers" appears on "We Are the Irish Descendants".

Visit the Irish Descendants artist page at /artist/irish-descendants for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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