Here's a nice fresh sea song from New Zealand about a lad who goes to sea and never want's to go to sea again. It's composed by Rudy Sunde of The Maritime Crew (Click here for website).

If you'd like to line up the chords below, copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12.

By Rudy Sunde ©1981
As recorded on AUCKLAND TO THE BLUFF by The Maritime Crew, © 2005

Auckland to the Bluff


C--------------------------F C
I left the city when just a lad,
-----------------------------G7
Times were hard and no work to be had,
-----C--------------------F
So I went to sea in the Flo-ra Belle,
G7--------------------------------------C
Little did I know 'twas a ship from hell.
--------------------------F----------------C
The ship was old and leak-ing at the seams,
---------------------------------------G7
A dir-ty old tub somewhat broad in the beam,
---C-------------------------F
Its sails were torn, some planks were rot-ten,
--G7---------------------------------C
It lay at the wharf a gent-ly rock-in.

C------------------------------F------C
I've sailed from Auck-land to the Bluff
---------------------------G7
A thousand miles and that's e-nough
--C--------------------------F
A thousand miles on the heav-ing sea -
G7---------------------------------------C
Glo-ry Hal-le-lu' that's e-nough for me
        
We set sail on the evening tide;
It was early on a Saturday night;
All went well till the Tiri light
And then, by God, I got a fright;
The ship was hit by a big beam sea
Christ, I thought, it's all up for me;
She rolled and she lollopped like a big tin drum –
Hell! I swore, my time had come. (CHO)

"Shorten sails," the skipper cried;
"Shorten the sails or you buggers will all die!
Get aloft, get aloft, right up the mast!
Get aloft, get aloft, and get up there fast!"
Never in my life had I been so scared;
Never in my life had I wished I was dead;
But I climbed up the mast and I shortened sail -
Then I climbed down again and was sick o'er the rail. (CHO)

Notes:

Auckland is about three quarters of the way up the North island while Bluff is a port at the base of the South Island (of New Zealand).

Cheerily,
Charley Noble