A Shantymans Life chords by Dan Zanes

Chords with lyrics

E MajorE              BB
Oh, a shanty-man's life is a wearisome life,
     C# minorC#m      BB    C# minorC#m
although some think it void of care
 E MajorE         BB
Swinging an ax from morning till night
    C# minorC#m     BB     C# minorC#m
in the midst of the forests so drear.
E MajorE          C# minorC#m
Lying in the shanty bleak
          E MajorE            C# minorC#m
and cold while the cold stormy wintry winds blow,
    F#F#     C# minorC#m    F#F#  E MajorE       C# minorC#m   BB    C# minorC#m
And as soon as the daylight doth appear, to the wild woods we must go.

 E MajorE              BB
Oh, the cook rises up in the middle of the night saying,
     C# minorC#m      BB    C# minorC#m
?Hurrah, brave boys, it's day."
 E MajorE         BB
Broken slumbers ofttimes are passed
    C# minorC#m     BB     C# minorC#m
as the cold winter night whiles away.
          E MajorE       C# minorC#m
Had we rum, wine or beer our spirits
          E MajorE            C# minorC#m
for to cheer in days so lonely do dwine,
and cold while the cold stormy wintry winds blow,
    F#F#     C# minorC#m    F#F#  E MajorE       C# minorC#m   BB    C# minorC#m
Or a glass of any shone while in the woods alone for to cheer up our troubled minds.

 E MajorE              BB
But when spring it does set in, double hardships begin,
     C# minorC#m      BB    C# minorC#m
when the waters are piercing cold,
 E MajorE         BB
And our clothes are dripping wet and fingers benumbed,
    C# minorC#m     BB     C# minorC#m
and our pike-poles we scarcely can hold.
          E MajorE     C# minorC#m
Betwixt rocks, shoals and sands
          E MajorE            C# minorC#m
give employment to all hands our well-banded raft for to steer,
and cold while the cold stormy wintry winds blow,
    F#F#     C# minorC#m    F#F#  E MajorE       C# minorC#m   BB    C# minorC#m
And the rapids that we run, oh, they seem to us but fun, for we're void of all slavish fear.


 E MajorE              BB
Oh, a shanty lad is the only lad I love,
     C# minorC#m      BB    C# minorC#m
and I never will deny the same.
 E MajorE         BB
My heart doth scorn these conceited farmer boys
    C# minorC#m     BB     C# minorC#m
who think it a disgraceful name.
          E MajorE       C# minorC#m
They may boast about their farms,
          E MajorE            C# minorC#m
but my shanty-boy has charms so far, far surpassing them all,
    F#F#     C# minorC#m    F#F#  E MajorE       C# minorC#m   BB    C# minorC#m