Lightfoot Gordon

Lightfoot Gordon - Ballad Of The Yarmouth Castle guitar chord

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From: Gord Broom

THE BALLAD OF THE YARMOUTH CASTLE

     Gordon Lightfoot (C) 1969

    Transcribed by Gord Broom , 1994. (Version 1.0)

NOTES:

This song appeared originally on the "Sunday Concert" live album.

Capo at the second fret and fingerpick.  At the end of the first and

third lines of each verse, use a G/Gsus4/G riff.  At the end of the

second and fourth lines, use an Am/Asus4/Am/Asus2/Am riff.  I've

transcribed it from the "Original Lightfoot" boxed set.  Thanks to

Matthew Fifer for sending me the lyrics

off the "Sunday Concert Plus" CD which corrected a couple of my "hear-os."

CHORDS:

  Am   C   G Asus2 Asus4 Gsus4

xo231o x32o1o  32ooo4 xo23oo xo234o  32oo14

====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======

||||o| ||||o| |||||| |||||| |||||| ||||o|

||oo|| ||o||| |o|||| ||oo|| ||oo|| |o||||

|||||| |o|||| o||||o |||||| ||||o| o||||o

SONG:

[Capo 2nd Fret]

Am                         C              G

Well it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the anchors have been weighed,

      Am       G            Am

From Miami to Nassau, she's bound across the waves.

       C             G

She's a-headin' south through Biscayne Bay, into the open sea,

     Am                         G               Am

The Yarmouth Castle's, she's a-dying and don't know it!

    Am               C                  G

There were many years she's been to sea, she's seen the better times,

     Am               G               Am

She gives a groan of protest as they cast away her lines.

Am             C               G

And the grumble of her engines and the rust along her spine,

   Am               G         Am

Tells the Castle she's too old to be sailing.

         Am            C                   G

But the sands run out within her heart, a tiny spark glows red,

Am                    G          Am

Smoulders through the evening as laughter overhead,

     Am                           C

Now when dinner's served and the cards are dealt, & the

       G

       drinks are passed around,

Am               G             Am

Deep within, the fire starts a-burning.

          Am              C             G

Now it's midnight on the open sea, the moon is shining bright,

      Am              G         Am

Some people join the party and others say goodnight.

         Am           C                  G

There's many who are sleeping now, it's been a busy day,

         Am            G          Am

And the tiny whisp of smoke is a-risin'.

     Am                  C                G

"Oh lord," she groans, "I'm burnin', let someone understand!"

         Am             G             Am

But her silent plea is wasted in the playin' of the band!

      Am                    C                  G

Everybody's dancin' on the deck and they're a-havin' such a time,

       Am           G                     Am

And a voice says, "Shut up and deal, I'm losin'"

      Am                  C          G

Deep within the Yarmouth Castle the fire begins to glow,

    Am             G            Am

It leaps into the hallways and climbs and twists and grows!

         Am                C                  G

And the paint she wore to keep her young, oh Lord, how well it burns!

     Am            G       Am

And soon that ol' fire is ragin'.

       Am                    C                  G

Now beneath the bridge it's climbing fast, the captain stands alone

    Am              G              Am

He calls up to the bos'un, says, "Bos'un, we are lost!"

Am                          C         G

For the ragged hoses in the racks, no pressure do they hold,

     Am            G                Am

The people down below will soon be dyin'.

     Am                     C                 G

All amidship's, oh she's a-blazin' now, it's spreadin' fore and aft!

     Am           G                 Am

The people are a-scramblin' as the fire blocks the path.

     Am            C                       G

The evil smoke surrounds them and they're fallin' in their tracks,

         Am             G             Am

And the captain in his lifeboat is a-leavin'.

BREAK: Am / (B) / C/ G / Am / G / Am

    Am              C                G

Oh then the ship Banana Star, comes steamin' through the night,

     Am              G                Am

She sees the Castle blazin' and 'tis a terrible sight.

  Am                         C                     G

"Jump down, jump down," the captain cries, "we'll save you if we can!"

         Am           G            Am

And the paint on his funnels is a-fryin'.

     Am                C               G

God help the ones who sleep below and cannot find the way,

       Am               G        Am

Thank God for those we rescued upon this awful day!

         Am              C            G

Now the heroes they are many but the times are goin' slim,

     Am                G           Am

And now from stern to bow she's a-blazin'.

        Am                C              G

Oh the Yarmouth Castle's moanin', she's cryin' like a child,

         Am              G         Am

You can hear her if you listen above the roar so wild.

        Am             C            G

Is she cryin' for the ones who lie within her molten sides,

    Am         G             Am

Or cryin' for herself I'm a-wonderin'?

         Am               C            G

But the living soon were rescued, the ones who lived to tell,

          Am          G                  Am

From the Star they a-watched her as she died there in the swells.

        Am            C             G

Like a toy ship on a mill pond she burned all through the night,

      Am                  G            Am

Then slipped beneath the waves in the mornin'.

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