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Barrett’s Privateers Lyrics by The Longest Johns

Caught in the Net

0

[Verse 1]
Oh the year was 1778
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Well a letter of marque came from king
To the scumiest vessel I've ever seen

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 2]
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

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 3]
The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
She had a list to port and sails in rags
And and the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 4]
And on the King's birthday we sailed away
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
We were ninety-one days from Montego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 5]
And on the ninety-sixth day we sailed again
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
With a bloody great Yankee Hove in sight
With our cracked four pounders, we made to fight

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 6]
The Yankee lay low down with gold
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
She was broad and fat and loose at the stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 7]
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

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 8]
The Antelope shook and she 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 my legs

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

[Verse 9]
So here I lay in my twenty-third year
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
It's been six year since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday

[Chorus]
God damn them all, I was told
We'd cruise the see 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

About “Barrett’s Privateers” by The Longest Johns

Read the complete lyrics to "Barrett’s Privateers" by The Longest Johns from the album "Caught in the Net". 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.

"Barrett’s Privateers" is performed by The Longest Johns. from the album "Caught in the Net" 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 The Longest Johns 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.

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Frequently asked questions

"Barrett’s Privateers" is credited to The Longest Johns. 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 "Caught in the Net".

Visit the The Longest Johns artist page at /artist/the-longest-johns for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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