The Mary Ellen Carter 4/4 Stan Rogers
[Intro:]
Mandolin solo (best o' luck)
[Verse]
/ G /
She / went down last Oc - / tober,
/ C - D / G
In a / pouring driving / rain,
/ Am /
The / skipper he'd been / drinking and
/ C / D
The / mate he felt no / pain,
/ G /
Too / close to Three Mile / Rock and
/ C / G
She was / dealt her mortal / blow and
/ Am / D
The / Mary Ellen Carter settled / low.
/G /
There was / just us five a - / board her,
/ C / G
When she / finally was a - / wash,
/ Am /
We / worked like hell to / save her,
/ C / D
All / heedless of the / cost, and
/ G /
The / groan she gave as / she went down,
/ C / G
It / caused us to pro - / claim,
/ Am / D / G
That the / Mary Ellen / Carter would rise a - / gain.
[Break:]
/ G /
Well the / owners wrote her / off,
/ C - D / G
Not a / nickel would they / spend,
/ Am /
"She gave / twenty years of / service, boys,
/ C / D
Then / met her sorry / end.
/ G /
But in - / surance paid the / loss to us,
/ C / G
So / let her rest be- / low.",
/ Am
Then they / laughed at us, and,
/ D
Said we had to / go.
[Verse]
/ G /
But we / talked of her all / winter,
/ C / G
Some / days around the / clock.
/ Am /
She's / worth a quarter / million,
/ C / D
A -/ floating at the / dock and
/ G /
With / every jar that / hit the bar,
/ / G
We / swore we would re - / main and
/ Am / D / G
Make the / Mary Ellen / Carter rise a - / gain!
[Chorus:]
/ Am - D / G
Rise a - / gain, rise a - / gain,
/ D / C
That her / name not be / lost,
/ G / D
To the / knowledge of / men,
/ G /
All / those who loved her / best and
/ C / G
Were / with her 'til the / end,
/ Am / D / G
Will make the / Mary Ellen / Carter, rise a - / gain.
[Break:]
/ G /
All / spring now we've been / with her,
/ C - D / G
On a / barge lent by a / friend.
/ Am /
Three / dives a day in a / hardhat suit, and
C / D
Twice I've had the / bends.
/ G /
Thank / God it's only / sixty feet, and
/ C / G
The / currents here are / slow, or
/ Am /
I'd / never have the / strength,
/ D
To go be - / low.
/ G /
But we've / patched her rents, / stopped her vents,
/ C / G
Dogged / hatch, and Portholes / down,
/ Am /
Put / cables to her, / fore and aft and
C / D
Girded her a - / round,
/ G /
To - / morrow noon, we / hit the air and
C / G
Then take up the / strain, and
/ Am / D / G
Make the / Mary Ellen / Carter rise a - / gain!
[Break: - Chorus:]
/ G /
For we / couldn't leave her / there,
/ C - D / G
You see to / crumble into / scale.
/ Am /
She'd / saved our lives, so / many times,
C / D
Living through the / gale, and
/ G /
The / laughing, drunken / rats,
/ C / G
Who left her / to a sorry / grave,
/ Am / / D
They / won't be laughing / in another / day, and
G / / C / G
You, to whom ad - / versity, has / dealt the final / blow,
/ Am /
With / smiling bastards / lying to you,
C / D
Everywhere you / go,
/ G /
Turn / to, and put out / all your strength,
/ C / G
Of / arm, and heart and / brain, and
/ Am / D / G
Like the / Mary Ellen / Carter rise a - / gain!
[2nd Chorus:]
/ Am / D / G
Rise a - / gain, / rise a - / gain,
/ D / C
Though your / heart, it be / broken, or
G / D
Life about to / end,
/ G /
No / matter what you've / lost,
/ C / G
Be it a / home, a love, a / friend,
/ Am / D / G
Like the / Mary Ellen / Carter rise a - / gain!
Repeat 2nd Chorus, with feeling on second "Rise a - gain".
Outro:
