Bloody Rose Of China
View chords used in this chart
Am
[Verse 1]
Am
Through the smoke, I heard a voice
F G Am
Say "I'll tell you a tale"
"Of the most successful pirate that
F G Am
Ever raised a sail"
F G
"It wasn't Teach or Avery
C G Am
Wasn't Morgan or Lafitte,
It was a poor widow woman
F G Am
And her massive pirate fleet"
[Chorus]
C D
She was the rose, the bloody rose
Em D C
The Bloody Rose of China
D A
She was a Pirate Queen!
C D
With her massive pirate fleet
Em D C
She'd go down in history
D Am
As the girl that owned the China Sea!
[Verse 2]
At a brothel down in Canton
F G Am
Lived a sixteen year old whore
Who didn't mind the work
F G Am
But was looking for much more
F G
When pirates invaded
C G Am
Burned that village to the ground
They all ran into the streets and
F G Am
Watched it all burn down
[Verse 3]
Before the smoke had cleared
F G Am
She had a brand new life
And a Pirate Captain named Zheng Yi
F G Am
Had a brand new wife
F G
Together they united all the
C G Am
Warring pirate clans
And that was just a tiny part
F G Am
Of her much larger plan
[Chorus]
C D
She was the rose, the bloody rose
Em D C
The Bloody Rose of China
D A
She was a Pirate Queen!
C D
With her massive pirate fleet
Em D C
She'd go down in history
D Am
As the girl that owned the China Sea!
[Verse 4]
And a few years later
F G Am
When Zheng Yi's life was through
She clawed her way onto his throne
F G
And took his power too
F G
She gathered and recruited
C G Am
Every pirate she could find
And it all fell into place
F G Am
Just as she had designed
[Verse 5]
Her fleet it grew so massive
F G Am
That it put the rest to shame
The towns all paid protection
F G Am
The vessels all fair game
F G
She had eighteen hundred ships
C G Am
Under her command
And with it eighty thousand pirates
F G Am
To carry out her plans
[Chorus]
C D
She was the rose, the bloody rose
Em D C
The Bloody Rose of China
D A
She was a Pirate Queen!
C D
With her massive pirate fleet
Em D C
She'd go down in history
D Am
As the girl that owned the China Sea!
[Verse 6]
Her Red Flag fleet it grew so large
F G Am
It could not be ignored
And no one would betray her
F G Am
No matter the reward
F G
The Portuguese sent their Navy
C G Am
The British sent their fleet
And each of them were sent back home
F G Am
Humbled by defeat
[Verse 7]
Qing Dynasty sent assassins and
F G Am
Envoys to start talks
The one thing they had in common
F G Am
They came home in a box
F G
The government it realized
C G Am
This was one they couldn't win
So they came up with a clever plan
F G Am
To bring this to an end
[Chorus]
C D
She was the rose, the bloody rose
Em D C
The Bloody Rose of China
D A
She was a Pirate Queen!
C D
With her massive pirate fleet
Em D C
She'd go down in history
D Am
As the girl that owned the China Sea!
[Verse 8]
They offered her full pardon
F G Am
If she agreed to leave the sea
She would keep her plunder
F G Am
And her men would all go free
F G
With amnesty granted
C G Am
A great pirate walked away
And a wealthy clever business woman
F G Am
Walked on shore that day
[Solo]
C D Em D C D A
C D Em D C D Am
[Verse 9]
"And that's the tale of Ching Shih
F G Am
And it's all true I swear"
"There's a gambling house in Canton
F G Am
And I'll bet that she's still there"
F G
And with that he faded
C G Am
Into the dim smoky haze
While legends of that Pirate Queen
F G Am
Will never fade away
[Outro]
Am
How to play Bloody Rose Of China
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Am. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.