Life of a Privateer
lyrics & melody by Tonis
4 April 2005
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For which nation do you steer , ‘tis the life of a privateer
Are you hero or rogue, pirate or demagogue
You’ll be hated, and loved, and feared
Do the children all run from the threat of your guns
Do the ladies all swoon, when your cannons go boom
‘tis the life of a privateer
To some you’re a hero a-sailing the seas
To others a monster driving men to their knees
For pillage or plunder, or a hero’s renown
The reason you sail judged by the stamp of a crown
<chorus>
In which ports do you find a welcoming kiss
Which others welcome you with a cannonball’s hiss
When the battle begins, ‘gainst whom do you dance
Who signed your marque, Spain or England or France
<chorus>
Forever your life is duplicity
An enigma, a riddle, solved with a fee
Just the swipe of a pen, and a stamped waxen seal
Determines your fate, like the turn of a wheel
<chorus>
Either way your home is truly the sea
From port to port, a bonnie lass on your knee
For someday the winds of fortune may change
And your enemy’s crown, new marque may arrange
<chorus> x2