Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

The Commodore’s Compliments Lyrics by Tanglefoot

Agnes on the Cowcatcher

0

Now gather round, you schooner-men, for tonight there′s a yarn toward
Tis a tale of honor from the days when against the States we warred
The decent act of a decent man, and I know of what I tell
I'm the last to choke on powder-smoke in the War of 1812

We′ve been sailing in a convoy, out on Lake Ontario
Our ship she was the Moira, and we had a sloop in tow
There was Yankee sail aplenty, we all knew upon the lake
To come under the guns of a Yankee ship was a chance we'd have to take

It's a hard row in life we hoe, all of us duty-bound
We eat, drink, and rarely think beyond what the task allows
But there′s a generous strand in every man, whether he will or not
So here′s a pail of Canadian ale to a man who paused for thought

Full forty miles to Kingston yet, when the big lake went to glass
And the smothering snow began to fall
-We were dead calm thick and fast
The shrouds hung slack and empty - no chance to make harbor now
The snow fell heavy as drunken sleep and we couldn't see stern to prow

As we peered around in a sea of white, a menacing darkness loomed
And slow as death, a Yankee warship ranged up into view
Twas Commodor Chauncey′s flagship, the Oneida, brig of war
We knew she'd stowed the Sittko in just a couple of days before

It′s a hard row in life we hoe, all of us duty-bound
We eat, drink, and rarely think beyond what the task allows
But there's a generous strand in every man, whether he will or not
So here′s a pail of Canadian ale to a man who paused for thought

She couldn't have been ten fathoms off, she loomed like a mountainside
Her flag hung red like an angry eye, and her guns were all a-primed
Fair braced were we for a hail of shot, for double our weight she bore
But before a single flint was struck, we heard our captain roar

"Pray stand away from the sloop we tow, there's precious cargo there
We′ll cut her loose to drift a league
-Then we′ll fight you fair and square
We fear you not, nor our own demise, it's rather the sloop we mind
What′s in her hold is worth much more than both our ships combined."

It's a hard row in life we hoe, all of us duty-bound
We eat, drink, and rarely think beyond what the task allows
But there′s a generous strand in every man, whether he will or not
So here's a pail of Canadian ale to a man who paused for thought

"We care not what you transport, you′ll neither pass nor run
You're in no place to bargain, we outgun you two to one!"
"In the name of God!" our captain cried, "Do not go so hard
Are you so brass-bound that you cannot think
-Like a man in this regard?

These three weeks dead is General Brock, and laid beneath the ground
The sloop carries his possessions and to Guernsey we are bound
His sword, his plate, his uniform, his papers, books, and arms
Our charge is to convey them back to Guernsey without harm."

The Stars and Stripes from the main peak hung
-Loft in a breeze just come
And the massive brig swung just enough to present us all eight guns
"If indeed the effects of Sir Isaac Brock are what you do convey
The Commodore's compliments to you all, we′ll meet another day!"

It′s a hard row in life we hoe, all of us duty-bound
We eat, drink, and rarely think beyond what the task allows
But there's a generous strand in every man, whether he will or not
So here′s a pail of Canadian ale to a man who paused for thought

It's a hard row in life we hoe, all of us duty-bound
We eat, drink, and rarely think beyond what the task allows
But there′s a generous strand in every man, whether he will or not
So here's a pail of Canadian ale to a man who paused for thought
Credits
Tanglefoot

Tanglefoot

About “The Commodore’s Compliments” by Tanglefoot

Read the complete lyrics to "The Commodore’s Compliments" by Tanglefoot from the album "Agnes on the Cowcatcher". 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 Country.

"The Commodore’s Compliments" is performed by Tanglefoot. from the album "Agnes on the Cowcatcher" 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 "The Commodore’s Compliments", explore more songs by Tanglefoot 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 Tanglefoot · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The Commodore’s Compliments" is credited to Tanglefoot. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Commodore’s Compliments" appears on "Agnes on the Cowcatcher".

Visit the Tanglefoot artist page at /artist/tanglefoot for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

Little Soldiers
Empire and the Right (George)
Backyard Sailor
Dance Like Flames
For The Day
Awkward Donald
Boot Soup
Hard Work
Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features

Company

About

Artists

Trending

Legal

Privacy

Terms

Copyright

Support

Contact

Features

Charts

© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.