Artist: Al Stewart
Intro - [D]
[VERSE 1]
I can [G]well recall the [D]first time I [C]ever put to sea
Was [G]on the old Cal[D]cutta in [F]eighteen fifty-[A]three
I was [G]just a lad of [D]fourteen years a [C]midshipman to [A]be
To [D]make my way in [Am]sailing ships
Of the [G]royal navy [D] [A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[VERSE 2]
By the [G]time that I was [D]twenty-one I had [C]sailed the world around
[G]Weathered storms in the [D]China seas with the [F]hatches battened [A]down
And [G]made my way by [D]starlight off the [C]coast of Newfound[A]land
And [D]dined on beer and [Am]herrings
While the [G]waves blew all a[D]ro[A]un[Bm]d [A] [G] [D]
[BRIDGE 1]
[Bm]I live in retirement now
And [E]through my window comes the sound of [Em]seagulls
And sets my mind re[Bm]membering
The evening stars like memories sail [E]far beyond the distant trees
Way [Em]out across the open seas I [Bm]hear them sing
[VERSE 3]
Oh the [G]wooden ships they [D]turned to iron and the [C]iron ships to steel
And [G]shed their sails like [D]autumn leaves with the [F]turning of the [A]wheel
And [G]I was given [D]captain's rank and [C]soon took under [A]me
The [D]proudest ship that [Am]ever sailed
For [G]queen and country[D] [A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[VERSE 4]
Ah the [G]old queen she [D]passed away with the [C]new born century
And [G]I received my [D]calling [F]up to the admiral[A]ty
The [G]sands ran through the [D]hourglass each [C]day more rapid[A]ly
As we [D]watched the growing [Am]of the fleets
Of [G]High German[D]y [A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[BRIDGE 2]
[Bm]So at last the Great War blazed
I waited with the passing days
The [E]call to arms that never came [Em]writing letters
I [Bm]may be old now in your eyes but [E]all my years have made me wise
You [Em]don't see where the danger lies so [A]call me back
[A]Call me back
[VERSE 5]
[G]But the war it [D]ran it's course they could [C]find no use for me
And [G]I live in the [D]country now grand[C]children on my [A]knee
And [G]sometimes think in [D]all this world the [C]saddest thing to [A]be
Old [D]admirals who [Am]feel the wind
And [G]never put to s[D]ea[A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[VERSE 6]
Now [G]just like you I've [D]sailed my dreams like [C]ships across the sea
And [G]some of them have [D]come on rocks and [C]some faced muti[A]ny
And [G]when they're sunken [D]one by one I'll [C]join that compa[A]ny
Old [D]admirals who [Am]feel the wind
And [G]never put to s[D]ea[A] [Bm] [A] [G] [Bm] [A] [A] [D]
[VERSE 1]
I can [G]well recall the [D]first time I [C]ever put to sea
Was [G]on the old Cal[D]cutta in [F]eighteen fifty-[A]three
I was [G]just a lad of [D]fourteen years a [C]midshipman to [A]be
To [D]make my way in [Am]sailing ships
Of the [G]royal navy [D] [A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[VERSE 2]
By the [G]time that I was [D]twenty-one I had [C]sailed the world around
[G]Weathered storms in the [D]China seas with the [F]hatches battened [A]down
And [G]made my way by [D]starlight off the [C]coast of Newfound[A]land
And [D]dined on beer and [Am]herrings
While the [G]waves blew all a[D]ro[A]un[Bm]d [A] [G] [D]
[BRIDGE 1]
[Bm]I live in retirement now
And [E]through my window comes the sound of [Em]seagulls
And sets my mind re[Bm]membering
The evening stars like memories sail [E]far beyond the distant trees
Way [Em]out across the open seas I [Bm]hear them sing
[VERSE 3]
Oh the [G]wooden ships they [D]turned to iron and the [C]iron ships to steel
And [G]shed their sails like [D]autumn leaves with the [F]turning of the [A]wheel
And [G]I was given [D]captain's rank and [C]soon took under [A]me
The [D]proudest ship that [Am]ever sailed
For [G]queen and country[D] [A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[VERSE 4]
Ah the [G]old queen she [D]passed away with the [C]new born century
And [G]I received my [D]calling [F]up to the admiral[A]ty
The [G]sands ran through the [D]hourglass each [C]day more rapid[A]ly
As we [D]watched the growing [Am]of the fleets
Of [G]High German[D]y [A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[BRIDGE 2]
[Bm]So at last the Great War blazed
I waited with the passing days
The [E]call to arms that never came [Em]writing letters
I [Bm]may be old now in your eyes but [E]all my years have made me wise
You [Em]don't see where the danger lies so [A]call me back
[A]Call me back
[VERSE 5]
[G]But the war it [D]ran it's course they could [C]find no use for me
And [G]I live in the [D]country now grand[C]children on my [A]knee
And [G]sometimes think in [D]all this world the [C]saddest thing to [A]be
Old [D]admirals who [Am]feel the wind
And [G]never put to s[D]ea[A] [Bm] [A] [G] [D]
[VERSE 6]
Now [G]just like you I've [D]sailed my dreams like [C]ships across the sea
And [G]some of them have [D]come on rocks and [C]some faced muti[A]ny
And [G]when they're sunken [D]one by one I'll [C]join that compa[A]ny
Old [D]admirals who [Am]feel the wind
And [G]never put to s[D]ea[A] [Bm] [A] [G] [Bm] [A] [A] [D]
Used chords
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