A Shantymans Life chords by Dan Zanes

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

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

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


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