The Flowers Of Bermuda Chords

"The Flowers of Bermuda" (Stan Rogers)
written in Fall of 1978 and appears on
"Between the Breaks...Live!"(1979)
 
standard tuning, no capo for rhythm guitar.
 
octave mandolin/bizouki tuned GDAD capo 7.
 
---------------------------------------------------
 
one, two, three, one-two!
 
[Intro]
 
A D A E A   A E D E
 
A A7 D A D  D E D A
 
[Chorus]
            D      A       E      A
He was the Captain of the Nightingale,
 A          E          D       E
twenty-one days from Clyde in coal,
A         A7         D     A                  D
he could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
D        E           D        A
when he died on the North Rock Shoal.
 
[Verse]
 
 A               Bm     D      E A
Just five short hours from Bermuda,
A     E      A     E   A              D
in a fine October gale, there came a cry,
       A                     D
"Oh, there be breakers dead ahead,
          E       Bm     E   A
from the collier Nightengale."
A          D       A        E           A
No sooner had the Captain brought her 'round,
A       E        A      E  A
came a rending crash below,
A            D          A                       D
hard on her beam ends groaning like the Nightengale,
D        E         D        A
and overside her mainmast blows.
 
[Verse]
 
      A       Bm      D        E  A
"Oh, Captain, are we all for drowning?"
 A        E        A        E  A
came the cry from all the crew,
 A              D           A              D
"The boats be smashed! How are we all then to be saved?
           E         Bm          E    A
They are stove in through and through!"
A             D        A     E      A
"Oh, are ye brave and hardy colliermen,
A           E        A      E   A
or are ye blind and cannot see?
A              D                A                  D
The Captain's gig still lies before ye whole and sound,
D         E     D     A
it shall carry all o' we."  Here we go!
 
[Chorus]
            D      A       E      A
He was the Captain of the Nightingale,
 A          E          D       E
twenty-one days from Clyde in coal,
A         A7         D     A                  D
he could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
D        E           D          A
when he died on the North Rock Shoal.
 
[Verse]
 
A             Bm       D     E   A
But when the crew were all assembled,
A        E      A         E  A
and the gig prepared for sea,
 A              D          A            D
was seen there were but eighteen places to be manned,
 E        Bm               E  A
nineteen mortal souls were we.
A              D         A       E     A
But cries the Captain, "Now, do not delay,
A           E       A          E A
nor do ye spare a thought for me,
A       D      A                    D
my duty is to save ye all now if I can,
D         E         D      A
see ye return quick as can be."
 
[Chorus]
            D      A       E      A
He was the Captain of the Nightingale,
 A          E          D       E
twenty-one days from Clyde in coal,
A         A7         D     A                  D
he could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
D        E           D         A
when he died on the North Rock Shoal.
 
[Solo]
 
A D A E A   A E D E
 
A A7 D A D  D E D A
 
[Verse]
 
A              Bm    D      E A
Oh, there be flowers in Bermuda,
A       E       A     E   A
Beauty lies on every hand...
 A             D       A                  D
and there be laughter ease and drink for every man,
          E      Bm     E  A
but there is no joy for me...
A             D           A       E      A
For when we reached the wretched Nightengale,
A        E     A          E   A
what an awful sight was plain,
A             D           A                       D
the Captain drowned, was tangled in the mizzen-chains,
D         E         D        A
smiling bravely beneath the sea.
 
[Chorus]
            D      A       E      A
He was the Captain of the Nightingale,
 A          E          D       E  A
twenty-one days from Clyde in coal,
A         A7         D     A                  D
he could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
D        E           D        A
when he died on the North Rock Shoal.
 
[Chorus]
 
N.C.
He was the Captain of the Nightingale,
N.C.
twenty-one days from Clyde in coal,
N.C.
he could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
N.C.
when he died on the North Rock Shoal.
 
[Chorus]
            D      A       E      A
He was the Captain of the Nightingale,
 A          E          D       E
twenty-one days from Clyde in coal,
A         A7         D     A                  D
he could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
D        E           D        A
when he died on the North Rock Shoal.
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