A Pirate Looks At Forty

Jimmy Buffet 1974

Tabulated by William W. Owens

 7 -6    7  7 -8  8   7  -6    7   -8   8
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call

 7  7  -8   7  -6 7  -8   7 -6
Wanted to sail upon your waters 

 -5   7  7   -7    -6   6
since I was three feet tall

   5    6   -6 -4     -6    -6  -6  6
You've seen it all, you've seen it all

verse 2.
Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures 
few have ever seen
Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream

verse 3.
Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

verse 4.
I've done a bit of smugglin', 
I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, 
but I p***** it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last

8  8    8     8   -8  -8 -8 7   7    7
I have been drunk now for over two weeks

7   8     8   8  8  8  -8  -8 -8   -8   7  7    7
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks

-8  7  7  -6   7   -8 7     7  -6 7   -8 7
But I got to stop wishin', got to go fishin'

 7   7   -6  7    7 -7 -6  6
I'm down to rock bottom again

  5  6 -6    -4      -6  6 -6     6
Just a few friends, just a few friends

verse 5.
I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while

verse 6.
Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found
My occupational hazard being my occupation's 
just not around

4  5    6    -6    -4      6 6   -6  -6  6
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown