Key:
Introduction: A G F A G A
A
The king sits in Dumferling town
G A
Drinking the blood-red wine
A
"Where can I get a good Captian
G A
To sail this ship of mine?"
A
Then up and spoke a sailor boy
G
Sitting at the king's right knee
A G
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best Captain
F A
That ever sailed to sea"
A
The king he wrote a broad letter
G A
And he sealed it with his hand
A
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens
G A
Walking out on the strand
A
To Norway, to Norway, to Norway
G
To Norway or the foam
A G
With all my lords and finery
F A
To bring my new bride home
A
The first line that Sir Patrick read
G A
He gave a weary sigh
A
The next line that Sir Patrick read
G A
A salt tear blinds his eye
A
"Oh, who is it, oh, who is it
G
Who told the king of me
A G
To set us out this time of year
F A
To sail across the sea?
A
But rest you well, my good men all
G A
Our ship must sail the morn
A
With four and twenty noble lords
G A
Dressed up in silk so fine
A
And four and twenty feather beds
G
To lay their heads upon
A G
Away, away, we&rsquo ll all away
F A
To bring the king's bride home"
A
"I fear, I fear, My captain dear
G A
I fear we'll come to harm
A
Last night I saw the new moon clear
G A
The old moon in her arm."
A
"Oh be it fair, or be it foul
G
Or be it deadly storm
A G
Oh, blow the wind where&rsquo er it will
F A
Our ship must sail the morn"
A
They hadn't sailed a day, a day
G A
A day but only one
A
When loud and boisterous blew the wind
G A
And made the good ship moan
A
They hadn't sailed a day, a day
G
A day but only three
A G
When oh, the waves came o'er the side
F A
And rolled around their knees
A
They hadn't sailed a league, a league
G A
A league but only five
A
When the anchor broke and the sails were torn
G A
And the ship began to rive
A
They hadn't sailed a league, a league
G
A league but only nine
A G
When oh, the waves came o'er the side
F A
Driving to their chins
A
"Who will climb the top mast high
G A
While I take helm in hand?
A
Who will climb the top mast high
G A
To see if there be dry land?"
A
"No shore, no shore, my Captain dear
G
I haven't seen dry land
A G
But I have seen a lady fair
F A
With a comb and a glass in her hand"
A
"Come down, come down, you sailor boy
G A
I think you tarry long
A
The salt sea&rsquo s in at my coat neck
G A
And out at my left arm
A
Come down, come down, you sailor boy
G
Tis here that we must die
A G
Our ship is torn at every side
F A
And now the sea comes in"
A
Loathe, loathe were those noble lords
G A
To wet their high-heeled shoes
A
But long before the day was o&rsquo er
G A
Their hats, they swam above
A
And many were the feathered beds
G
That fluttered on the foam
A G
And many were those noble lords
F A
Who never did come home
A
It's fifty miles shore to shore
G A
And fifty fathoms deep
A
And there lies good Sir Patrick Spens
G A
The lords all at his feet
A
Long, long, may his lady look
G
With a lantern in her hand
A G
Before she sees Sir Patrick Spens
F A
Come sailing home again