He Played His Ukulele As The Ship Went Down Ukulele chords by Leslie Holmes

• Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

Key: F

Intro:

   F
Yo ho, my lads, yo ho
C7                     F
I'll tell you the tale of a sailor
E7  Am
Who sailed the Bay of Biscay-o
       E7           Am
As the Captain of a whaler



       Gm               C7
Of his gallant deed you all should know
   C7
Yo ho, my lads, yo ho:

Verse 1:
     F                    Gm
I'll tell the tale of the Nancy Lee
C7                 F
The ship that got ship-wrecked at sea
Gm
The bravest man was Captain Brown
C7          F    Bb   F
For he played his Ukulele as the ship went down;
Dm                Bb7   A7
All the crew were in despair
Dm                       G7            C7
Some rushed here And the others rushed there
F                  Gm
But the Captain sat in the Captain's chair
                     C7          F    Bb   F
And he played his Ukulele as the ship went down.


Interlude:
F       Bb      C       F


Verse 2:
    F                Gm
The owner wirelessed to the crew
 C7               F
"Do the best that you can do
Gm
She's only insured for half a crown
C7            F    Bb   F
So I'll be out of pocket if the ship goes down"
    Dm                Bb7  A7
The Captain answered "Holy Gee
Dm                   G7    C7
It's all up with the Nancy Lee
F                  Gm
You're alright but what about me?
                  C7            F    Bb   F
I shall wet my Ukulele when the ship goes down"


Interlude:
C

G7 C             G7  C   C7
Yo Ho
My Lads
Yo  Ho.


Verse 3:
          F                     Gm
When they heard the news at the Admiralty
C7                F
They wirelessed to the Nancy Lee
Gm
"We'd like to speak to Captain Brown
                 C7            F    Bb   F
If he isn't very busy when the ship goes down."
    Dm                Bb7       A7
The Captain answered "What’s to do "
    Dm                  G7        C7
The Admiralty said, "At half past two
         F                Gm
We shall all be listening in to you
C7          F    Bb   F
When you play your Ukulele as the ship goes down."


Interlude:
F       Ddim    G   C   F


Verse 4:
F    F                  Gm
 The pets on board were all scared stiff
C7                  F
The cat meeowed and the monkey sniffed
Gm
The old green parrot hung upside-down
C7            F    Bb   F
Saying, "Scratch-a-Poll-Polly" as the ship went down.
    Dm                     Bb7        A7
The crows-nest fell and it killed the crow
Dm                  G7        C7
The starboard watch was two hours slow
F                 Gm
But the Captain sang, "Vo-do-de-o-do"
                    C7            F    Bb   F
As he played his ukulele when the ship went down.


Interlude:
F       Dm  C   F       F


Verse 5:
   F                 Gm
An Irishman said, "Begorrah!
I'll fight_
    C7                  F
The very first man that comes in sight"
                          Gm
"You can't do that", said Captain Brown
C7             F    Bb   F
"You'll have to box the compass as the ship goes down."
    Dm             Bb7      A7
The skipper issued from the store
  Dm              G7    C7
A cake of soap to every four
F                   Gm
And said, "Now wash yourselves ashore
C7          F    Bb   F
While I play my ukulele as the ship goes down"


Interlude:
F   C   Dm  Bb  Bb  C7  F


Verse 6:
      F                  Gm
"Have faith in me!", the Captain cried
   C7               F
To this remark, the crew replied
Gm
"You can trust us
Captain Brown
C7             F    Bb   F
To finish up the rum before the ship goes down."
    Dm               Bb7      A7
The skipper shouted, "No back-chat!
     Dm                 G7    C7
I'll do my best looking after that
       F              Gm
Do you mind if I pass 'round the hat
                C7            F    Bb   F
As I play my ukulele when the ship goes down "


Interlude:
F         Gm
Ha Ha Ha
Hee Hee Hee
C7                          F
Listen to the wisdom of the good lady.


Verse 7:
    F               Gm
The skipper shouted fore and aft
      C7                F
"I'll have no slackers aboard this craft!"
                     Gm
So understand", says Captain Brown
C7               F    Bb   F
"I want everybody present when the ship goes down"
     Dm                      Bb7     A7
"The cook's gone mad and the bosun's lame
Dm                      G7      C7
The rudder has gone and the deck's aflame
F                    Gm
My G string's flat, but all the same
C7            F    Bb   F
I shall play my ukulele when the ship goes down."


Interlude:
F       Gm      C7      F

F       Gm          C7  F Bb F


Bridge:
   F
He shouted "Man the rafts
C7                        F
With chains and a rope you can bind 'em!"
E7  Am
The Bo'sun search'd both fore and aft
E7                 Am
But dashed if he could find 'em;
       Gm            C7
At the mercy of that raging sea
        C7
Was the good ship Nancy Lee


Verse 8:
     F             Gm
They struggled on against the storm
    C7                  F
The cold, cold wind was far from warm
                    Gm
So all the crew and Captain Brown
                     C7             F    Bb   F
Played ring-a-ring-a-roses 'til the ship fell down
     Dm                  Bb7      A7
They shouted, "Women and children first!"
    Dm            G7     C7
The engineer came up and cursed
F                   Gm
But all of a sudden his boiler burst
C7          F    Bb   F
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down


F       F   Bb  F   C7  F
Bb      C7      F


Verse 9:
    F                  Gm
The Captain's wife was on the ship
C7                F
And he was glad she'd made the trip.
                      Gm
As she could swim she might not drown
C7            F    Bb   F
So he tied her to the anchor as the ship went down.
     Dm                 Bb7   A7
They sprung a leak just after dark
    Dm                      G7     C7
And through the hole came a hungry shark
   F                        Gm
It bit the skipper near the water-mark
                    C7          F    Bb   F
So he played his ukulele as the ship went down.


Interlude:
F                     Gm             C7
 Singing "Polly wolly doodle all the day"
C7        C                          F
 Singing "Polly wolly doodle all the day"




Verse 10:
F                 Gm
He had sailed the sea, they say
C7                    F
For twenty-two years come pancake day
                  Gm
So it's no wonder Captain Brown
                     C7            F    Bb   F
Wished he was in the army when the ship went down
   Dm                   Bb7    A7
He played the part of a bold A.B.
   Dm                 G7       C7
He played the game on land and sea
F                       Gm
But this was the very first time that he_
                  C7          F    Bb   F
Had played his ukulele as the ship went down

Interlude:
F       Bbdim    F   C   Dm  C
Dm  C   F   Cdim C7  F




Verse 11:
          F                     Gm
When they reached the lifeboat, how they cursed
    C7              F
The second mate had got there first
                                Gm
The cook said "Aye
I'll be the last to drown
C7             F    Bb   F
'Cause I'm climbin' up the riggin' as the ship goes down."
Dm            Bb7   A7
Soon it was a total wreck
    Dm                   G7      C7
The captain stood on the burning deck
    F                    Gm
The flames leapt up all around his neck
                 C7          F    Bb   F
And burnt his ukulele as the ship went down.


F   Bb  F   Bb  F  C  F




Verse 12:
    F                 Gm
The mate said, "It's okay with me
    C7                 F
The shipwreck suits me to a tee
                 Gm
I owe ten bob to Captain Brown
C7             F    Bb   F
And I'll never have to pay him if the ship goes down"
     Dm          Bb7       A7
"The pessimistic cook said he
    Dm                 G7         C7
Was sure the crew very soon would be
F                     Gm
Playing a harp", said Brown, "Not me!
                   C7          F    Bb   F
I shall play my ukulele as the ship goes down."


Interlude:
F               C7      F




Verse 13:
    F                     Gm
The mate had a saxophone: _ _ _
    C7                   F
The cook had a trombone: _ _ _
                            Gm
The drummer had an old tin: _ _ _
              C7      F Bb F
Another had a violin: _ _  _
    Dm                 Bb7 A7
The bosun had a banjo: _ _ _
    Dm                    G7  C7
The stoker had a piccolo: _ _ _
         F                         Gm
"You can play what you like", said Captain Brown
C7          F    Bb   F
"But I shall play my ukulele as the ship goes down"


Interlude:
F       Bb  C


Outro:
A7  Dm                      Bb7   A7
And that is the tale of the Nancy Lee
    Dm                 G7         C7
The ship that got ship-wrecked at sea
    F       Dm            Gm     C7
And Captain Brown who was in command
    Bb        C7 F    C      F  Bb   F
Now plays his Ukulele in the Mermaid Band.





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| * Additional verse (appears in other versions but not this recording)
************************************************************************

Additional

Verse :
C7  F             Gm
The Bosun said to Stoker Jim
C7               F
"You'll have to teach me how to swim."
                    Gm
The Stoker answered with a frown
C7            F    Bb   F
"We can learn together as the ship goes down."
    Dm              Bb7     A7
The Captain said to Fireman Mose
Dm                  G7        C7
"Get straight in to your fireman's clothes
F                   Gm
And while you stand and play your hose
C7          F    Bb   F
I'll play my ukulele as the ship goes down."