Hemsworth Wade - Imalone guitar chord

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Date: Fri, 5 Apr 1996 22:25:38 -0400

From: mcorbett@TartanNET.ns.ca (Mike Corbett)

Subject: imalone by wade hemsworth

Imalone

by Wade Hemsworth

Dm             C          A

I remember, oh I remember well

    Dm                     C       A7

The most famous rum runner of them all

Dm             C           A7

I remember, oh I remember well

    Dm                     C       A7

The most famous rum runner of them all

            F

She was the schooner from Lunenburg, Imalone

Bb             Dm

On the Gulf of Mexico

         E                             A

She went down under fire from a Yankee cutter

       Dm            G           Bb

On the high seas, outside treaty waters.

Chorus

Dm  C  A7

Oh, Imalone

Dm                        C        A7

A long way from Lunenburg she went down

Dm                         C              A7

Cause Skipper John ran and wouldn't heave to

        Dm      C Dm

On the Imalone.

It was in nineteen hundred and twenty nine

When smuggling liquor was a profitable pastime

Many a Maritimer didn't see why, he shouldn't turn a penny Uncle Sam was dry

Many a family took a style

Prohibition made it very worthwhile to be a good Samaritan

To long suffering, thirsty Americans.

Chorus

And the schooner's captain was a wild Newfoundlander

A hard-drivin man name of John Thomas Randall

A decorated veteran of the First World War, a sea-going gentleman adventurer

>From the lees he would take the Imalone

To the coast of Louisiana and anchor south of the Trinity Shore

Where he would meet his man and discharge his cargo according to plan

Chorus

And it was all clear sailing for the Imalone

With the profits from 6 or 7 trips salted down

The coast guard had bothered them a couple of times

But skipper John's seamanship had left them behind

One march morning in the wind and the squall

She was reaching along under jumbo jib and storm try sail

When the cutter Dexter cut in on the Imalone's starboard quarter

Chorus

The Dexter's captain was a very rough man

He swore he'd never lose the Imalone again

He ran a stream of signals saying' "how do you do?"

Ya know that I'll fire if you don't heave to

Skipper John semaphored immediately, I'm on the high seas

You have no jurisdiction over me

The Dexter's captain sent several vollies through the Imalone's rigging

Chorus

The bullets tore the booze and the sails and the lines

They even tore a hole in the red ensign

When Skipper John saw it he was fit to be tied

At the disrespect shown to his national pride

The crew said sir don't you trouble your mind

We'll all go down together with the red ensign a flying'

He signalled to the Dexter to shoot and be dammed to you I'll not surrender

Chorus

The Dexter opened fire and it didn't take long

When her guns stitched a seam along the Imalone's waterline

Skipper John ordered every man to the sea

There was water on the bridge when he himself jumped free

Stern in the air the Imalone went down

Heavy seas a running it's a wonder only one man was drown

The bosun was the one who was pulled aboard the cutter when his life was gone

Chorus

And that's how it happened and there isn't much more

The Imalone became an international affair

Skipper John and his seamen were all released

The US government couldn't make a case

That kind of violence is bound to happen

When a law like prohibition sits up and begs to be broken

We still remember the story of the Imalone and Skipper John Randall

Chorus

Submitted by mcorbett@tartannet.ns.ca

Mike Corbett

Box 173

Bear River, N.S.

BOS 1BO

Phone: 902-467-3871

I think I am, therefore, I am, I think.