Oh, the year was 1778.
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now!
A letter of Mark 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.
Well, Elsie Barrett cried the town.
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now!
What 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 to bear its privateers.
Well, the antelope's sloop
was a sickening sight.
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now!
She'd a list to the port
and her sails in rags
And the cook in the scuppers
with the staggers and 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 to bear its privateers
On the king's birthday we put to sea
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
It was 91 days to Montego Bay,
pumpin' 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 to bear its privateers.
On the 96th day we sailed again,
how I wish I was in Sherbrooke now.
When a bloody great Yankov into 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 to bear its 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 to bear its 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 Yanks 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 to bear its privateers
The antelope shook and
pitched on her side
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Well, Barrett was smashed like
a bowl of eggs
And the main truck 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 sit in my twenty -third year
I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
It's been six years since I 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 to bear its privateers.
Kingston Trio 
