Powder Monkey
View chords used in this chart
Schooner Fare,
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuOF-hpkxIg
[Intro]
Am G Am
Am G C E
Am G F Am
Am G Am
[Verse 1]
Am C
In days of old, so the story's told,
G C
Of boys who went to sea,
Am G C C
All of seven, eight and nine years old they say,
F Em
To serve upon the warring ships,
Dm Am
Their captains and their kings,
F G E
To serve the purpose they still serve today,
F G Am
To serve the purpose they still serve today.
Am C
To carry up the powder
G C
From the magazine below,
Am G C C
From a hold too dark and crowded for a man,
F Em
They called them Powder Monkeys,
Dm Am
Every schoolchild ought to know,
F G E
The price we pay to keep our promised land,
F G Am
The price we pay to keep our promised land.
Am C
[Chorus]
F Em
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am Em
Send him down into the well,
F C
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am E
He'll fetch us a pail of hell
Am Dm
To keep out cannon burnin'
Am Dm
He'll fall behind the gun,
C Am
We'll just send for a Powder Monkey,
C F
'Cause there's more where he came from.
Am
[Verse 2]
Am C
They come from the city sidewalks and
G C
They come from the family farm,
Am G C C
To trust their fragile futures to the wind,
F Em
They come from the land of plenty,
Dm Am
Through the evergreens and corn,
F G E
With more to lose than all the angry men,
F G Am
With more to lose than all the angry men.
Am C
Was it the hunger of the family,
G C
Was it the anger of the street,
Am G C C
That drove a lonely child to Satan's door,
F Em
Where death was all but certain and
Dm Am
Damnation near complete,
F G E
Save all for the holy innocent ashore,
F G Am
Save all the holy innocent ashore.
Am C
[Chorus]
F Em
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am Em
Send him down into the well,
F C
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am E
He'll fetch us a pail of hell
Am Dm
To keep out cannon burnin'
Am Dm
He'll fall behind the gun,
C Am
We'll just send for a Powder Monkey,
C F
'Cause there's more where he came from.
Am
[Verse 3]
Am C
From high above the gun deck
G C
Ring the orders of the realm,
Am G C C
To roll out a battle cadence on the drum,
F Em
As forward into darkness
Dm Am
Sail the cowards at the helm,
F G E
And they shoot the stars to see how far they've come,
F G Am
Look at their sons to see how far they've come.
Am C
In days of old, so the story's told
G C
Of boys who went to sea,
Am G C C
All of seven, eight and nine years old they say,
F Em
To serve upon the warring ships,
Dm Am
Their captains and their kings,
F G E
To serve the purpose they still serve today,
F G Am
To serve the purpose they still serve today.
Am C
[Last Chorus]
F Em
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am Em
Send him down into the well,
F C
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am E
He'll fetch us a pail of hell
Am Dm
To keep out cannon burnin'
Am Dm
He'll fall behind the gun,
Am C
F Em
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am Em
Send him down into the well,
F C
Send for the Powder Monkey,
Am E
He'll fetch us a pail of hell
Am Dm
To keep out cannon burnin'
Am D Dm
He'll fall behind the gun,
C Am
We'll just send for a Powder Monkey,
C Am
'Cause there's more where he came from.
C Am
We'll just send for a Powder Monkey,
C Am
'Cause there's more where he came from.
C Am
We'll just send for a Powder Monkey,
C Am F G Am
'Cause there's more where he came from.
F G Am
How to play Powder Monkey
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.