The Ballad of Pirate William Watts

 

I was born C in the town Shepton Mallet

Appren F tice to a pipe maker G man

In C Oakhill where I found my Am vocation

I Dm wandered G around that sweet C town

 

Then a C sudden disaster hit the nation

The sun F was hidden by G a hand

I C lost my job and turned to (Am) stealin

Trans(Dm) ported to (G) Van Diemen’s (C)land

 

Chorus

Caged (Am) canaries sing of freedom

A bird in the (Dm)  bush is worth two in the (G) hand

On a (Am) ship we were (F) condemned men

(C)  Down in Van(G)  Diemen’s (C) land

 

In that (C) hell hole I found Ester

Trans(F) ported for ten years(G) long

For(C) stealin a loaf for her (Am)family

On (Dm) prison island (G) we got(C) along

 

(C) Living was rough, dying easy

We (F) never had enough cash in (G)hand

So I (C) made and sold bootleg (Am)whisky

So (Dm) we might (G) escape Van Diemen’s(C) land

 

Chorus

Caged (Am) canaries sing of freedom

A (Dm) bird in the bush is worth two in the (G) hand

On the(Am) ship we were (F) condemned men

(C) Down in Van(G) Diemen’s (C) land

 

(C) Lashed by the law when they caught me

(F) Two hundred or more I could not (G) stand

(C) I swore to friends and (Am) family

(Dm) That one day I’d (G) escape Van Diemen’s(C) land

 

(C) Next time I bootlegged I was running

From town (F) to town and formed a (G) gang

(C)  But the lawmen who caught me were (Am) cunning

And the(Dm)  judge told me(G)  I would(C)  hang

 

Chorus

Caged(Am) canaries sing of freedom

A bird in the bush(Dm) is worth two in the (G) hand

On a(Am) ship we were condemned (F) men

Down (C) in Van(G) Diemen’s (C) land

 

 Part 2

On a (C) brig to Macquarie Harbour

Death (F) sentence for us they(G) say

At anchor (C) the crew went (Am) a fishing

And we (Dm) cons (G) mutinied (C) away

 

(C) Now we were free canaries

(F)  Pirates bound for New Zea(G) land

(C) Lost our way we met with (Am) Samurai

(Dm) Picture me pipe(G) man in(C) Japan

 

Chorus

Caged(Am) canaries sing of freedom

A bird in the bush(Dm) is worth two in the (G) hand

On a(Am) ship we were condemned (F) men

Down (C) in Van(G) Diemen’s (C) land

 

(C) we knew our British hunters

We(F)   scuppered the ship off (G) Canton

And (C) pretended to be (Am) survivors

Of another (Dm) wreck but (G) that crew came (C) along

 

(C) Caught again we were arrested

Put back (F)   on a ship for(G) England

Oh (C) but my trial went (Am) unattested

They hung (Dm) me as the (G) last pirate (C) man

 

(C) My name is William Watts the pirate

The last(F) man for piracy to(G) hang

For (C) stealing a pigeon I was (Am) sent to prison

That (Dm) place called (G) Van Diemen’s (C) land

Chorus:

Caged(Am) canaries sing of freedom

A bird in (Dm) the bush is worth two in the (G) hand

On a(Dm) ship we were (F) condemned men

Down (C) in Van(G) Diemen’s (C) land

On failure and success

I could have succeeded in an exam

I could have lengthened my life span

But you know would I still be who I am

Or would I have compromised?

For life is full of truths and lies

What we tell ourselves

Comes as no surprise

But what others see of the true self

Belies our projected hologram

Our public persona, 

If it's accepted,

 is mona 

Lisa smile of conceit

Or self satisfied

Competitive edge

To match esteem in others' eyes

Yet what is it this public self

That must be held upon

Such a high shelf

And where or how to measure

The other in a soulful equilibrium plasma

Some gell of unconscious desires

That we all swim around

Like creatures in soup

Flies stuck perhaps

Fallen from skies

Or else amphibious lizards

Rising out of the goop

And how do you keep it all together?

Dry spell

 It's a dry spell

And the heat is in my mind

They're clearing out the drains

I'm falling far behind

It's a dry spell

And I'm shooting out my brains

The apples are falling off

The tree limbs

It's a dry spell

And we're waiting for the rains

The well has run dry

The reservoirs are drained

It's a dry spell

And we're waiting for the rain

The brocoli can't grow

No carrots on the trains

The ships masts sway

But there's no wind again

As we're waiting for the rain

It's dry spell in my mind

Gotta asking yourself

If it's you or him

Because the man in the mirror is always

Gonna win

Rambler's refrain

 Repeat after me:

I will not be cowed by the cows

I refuse to be bullied by the bulls

I won't be lambasted by the lambs

Nor stampeded by the stags

All these farm yard animal antics

Frozen in the field

Frightened by Frisians

Ghouled by the goose

Nor duped by the ducks

I will neither be hounded by hounds

Or alarmed by the llamas

I will be strong and centred and sound

I will stand my ground

In the face of shadowy cows

In the herring howls of horns

In the screeching jowls of gulls

In girlish growls of fowls

In foolish brows of owls

Or the horrid hoots of crows

The chalkish cheers of sheep

The balkish bawls and bleats

Of the unknown darkness sheets 

Please Pan to fall asleep

And ignore our rambling feet

love another day

 The summer will be over soon

And I will want my rest

And you my love will own the moon

And take my very best

If you want to walk the room

And come out at the end

Then find me here another June

And you'll call me friend

I never meant to hurt you

Nor spoil what we had

But it has been so untrue

This dream turned out bad

I miss you and want you too

It's all that I can say

I never meant to hurt you

Just to love another day

Thank you

E  Am E Am Dm7 Am7 Em E7 repeat, G D7 G D begin again

 Thank you

I want to say thank you

Thank you for being in my life

Thank you, thank you

Thank you for showing me

Thank you for showing me

That you like me too

That you like me too

Thank you, thank you

Thank you for not cutting like a knife

Thank you, thank you

We all are slipping in the stream

we're all swimming in this life's dream

Dm7                       Am7

And who knows if it's forever

   E                  Am

Thank you, Thank you

Dm7                    Am7

who knows if it's forever

For it's all unseen

Thank you, thank you

For it's all unseen

Thank you, thank you

Thank you for the friend that you've been

Thank you, thank you

Transposed

Bb   Dm   Bb   Dm   Gm7   Dm7   Bbm   Bb7   (repeat)

C#   A#7   C#   A#   (begin again)

Bb

Gm7

Bbm

Bb7

C#

A#7/Bb7

A#

Mexico City

 I'm thinking of going to Mexico city

It's a long, long way away

I'm thinking of going to Mexico city

To find out if I'm made of clay

I hear the bandidos and the casinos

Are rolling around every day

Trying to find my way to Mexico city

Where the piñatas are hit in play 

Thinking of going to Mexico city

Where the drugs barons say hey

Thinking of going to Mexico city

Just on a short holiday

Thinking of going to Mexico city

Where the fishes all leap on the plate

Thinking of going to Mexico city

Where pinatas hang on trees of bay

Thinking of going to Mexico city

We can be on our way

With a muletto, singing falsetto

And a sister who wants me to pray

Thinking of going to Mexico city

Through the canyons of the Pecos Valley

I had a love there, she was a dove dear

But now she has flown far away