The Mary Ellen Carter — Stan Rogers
Chords and lyrics for The Mary Ellen Carter by Stan Rogers (key of G).
Verse 1
Instead of putting the major 7 in the bass on the G/F#, I just play it up
Verse 1
She [G]went down last [G/F#]October in a [C]pouring [D]driving [G]rain
The [Am]skipper he'd been drinking, and the [C]mate he felt no [D]pain
Too [G]close to Three Mile [G/F#]Rock and she was [C]dealt her mortal [G]blow
And the [Am]Mary Ellen Carter settled [D]low
There was [G]just us five [G/F#]aboard her when she [C]finally [D]was [G]awash
We [Am]worked like hell to save her, all [C]heedless of the [D]cost
And the [G]groan she gave as [G/F#]she went down it [C]caused us to [G]proclaim
That the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter would rise [G]again
Break
G/F# / C / D / G / G/F# / C / D
Verse 2
Well the [G]owners wrote her [G/F#]off, not a [C]nickel [D]would they [G]spend
"She gave [Am]twenty years of service, boys, then [C]met her sorry [D]end.
But [G]insurance paid the loss to [G/F#]us, so [C]let her rest [G]below."
Then they [Am]laughed at us and said we had to [D]go.
But we [G]talked of her all [G/F#]winter, some [C]days [D]around the [G]clock
She's [Am]worth a quarter million [C]afloat and at the [D]dock
And with [G]every jar that [G/F#]hit the bar we [C]swore we would [G]remain
And make the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter rise [G]again.
Chorus 1
Rise [Am][D]again, rise [G]again[G/F#]
That her [C]name not be lost to the [G]knowledge of [D]men
All [G]those who loved her [G/F#]best and were [C]with her [D]'til the [G]end
Will make the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter rise [G]again
Break
G/F# / C / D / G / G/F# / C / D
Verse 3
All [G]spring now we've been with [G/F#]her on a [C]barge lent [D]by a [G]friend
Three [Am]dives a day in a hardhat suit and [C]twice I've had the [D]bends
Thank [G]God it's only [G/F#]sixty feet and the [C]currents here are [G]slow
Or I'd [Am]never have the strength to go [D]below
But we've [G]patched her rents, [G/F#]stopped her vents, dogged [C]hatch and [D]porthole
[G]down
Put [Am]cables to her, fore and aft, and [C]girded her [D]around
[G]Tomorrow noon, we [G/F#]hit the air and [C]then take up the [G]strain
And make the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter rise [G]again.
Chorus 1
Rise [Am][D]again, rise [G]again[G/F#]
That her [C]name not be lost to the [G]knowledge of [D]men
All [G]those who loved her [G/F#]best and were [C]with her [D]'til the [G]end
Will make the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter rise [G]again[G/F#]
Verse 4
For we [G]couldn't leave her [G/F#]there, you see, to [C]crumble [D]into [G]scale
She'd [Am]saved our lives so many times, [C]living through the [D]gale
And the [G]laughing, drunken [G/F#]rats who left her [C]to a sorry [G]grave
They [Am]won't be laughing in another [D]day...
And [G]you, to whom [G/F#]adversity has [C]dealt its [D]final [G]blow
With [Am]smiling bastards lying to you [C]everywhere you [D]go
Turn [G]to, and put out [G/F#]all your strength of [C]arm and heart and [G]brain
And like the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter rise [G]again!
Chorus 2
Rise [Am][D]again, rise [G]again[G/F#]
Though your [C]heart it be broken and [G]life about to [D]end
No [G]matter what you've [G/F#]lost, be it a [C]home, a [D]love, a [G]friend
Like the [Am]Mary Ellen [D]Carter rise [G]again!
(Repeat 2nd Chorus, with feeling on second 'rise again')
tone, the 2nd string by a full tone, and the first by a full tone.
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