Misc Traditional – Red Iron Ore (Guitar)

     Am                       G
Come all ye bold sailors who follow the lakes,

      C         Dm          Am        E
On an iron ore vessel your living to make,

    Am           F          C            E
I shipped in Chicago, bid adieu to the shore,

        C                   G       Am
Bound away to Escanaba for red iron ore.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

        Am                      G
In the month of September, the seventeenth day,

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Two dollars and a quarter was all they would pay,

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And on Monday morning the Bridgeport did take

    C              G          Am
The E. C. Roberts out in the lake.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

     Am                            G
The wind from the south’ard sprang up a fresh breeze,

      C                Dm           Am           E
And away through Lake Michigan the Roberts did sneeze.

        Am         F            C           E
Down through Lake Michigan the Roberts did roar,

    C                     G                      Am
And on Friday morning we passed through death’s door.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

      Am                           G
This packet she howled ‘cross the mouth of Green Bay,

       C          Dm         Am                 E
And before her cutwater she dashed the white spray.

    Am          F              C           E
We rounded the sand point, our anchor let go,

    C                            G            Am
We furled in our canvas and the watch went below.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

     Am                    G
Next morning we hove alongside the Exile,

     C             Dm        Am        E
And soon was made fast to an iron ore pile.

     Am              F               C          E
They lowered their chutes and like thunder did roar,

       C                   G       Am
They spouted into us that red iron ore.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

     Am                         G
Some sailors took shovels while others got spades,

     C              Dm            Am          E
And some took wheelbarrows, each man to his trade.

    Am              F           C           E
We looked like red devils, our fingers got sore,

    C                        G          Am
We cursed Escanaba and that damned iron ore.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

     Am               G
The tug Escanaba she towed out the Minch.

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The Roberts she thought she had left in a pinch.

    Am             F         C            E
And as she passed by us she bid us good-bye,

               C                          G         Am
Saying “We’ll meet you in Cleveland next Fourth of July.”

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

  Am                      G
Through Louse Island it blew a fresh breeze;

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We made the Foxes, the Beavers, the Skillageles;

    Am           F           C            E
We flew by the Minch for to show her the way,

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And she ne’er hove in sight till we were off Thunder Bay.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

        Am              G
‘Cross Saginaw Bay the Roberts did ride

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With the dark and deep water rolling over her side.

     Am           F         C            E
And now for Port Huron the Roberts must go,

           C                     G          Am
Where the tug Kate Williams she took us in tow.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

    Am                             G
We went through North Passage — O Lord how it blew!

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And all ‘round the Dummy a fleet there came too.

     Am          F         C              E
The night being dark, Old Nick it would scare.

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We hove up next morning and for Cleveland did steer.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.

         Am                        G
Now the Roberts in Cleveland made fast stem and stern,

    C        Dm             Am        E
And over the bottle we’ll spin a big yarn.

     Am              F          C               E
But Captain Harvey Shannon had ought to stand treat

     C                      G           Am
For getting to Cleveland ahead of the fleet.

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Derry down, down, down, derry down.

    Am                   G
Now my song is ended, I hope you won’t laugh.

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Our dunnage is packed and all hands are paid off.

          Am            F               C                   E
Here’s a health to the Roberts, she’s staunch, strong and true;

        C                          G             Am
Not forgotten, the bold boys that comprise her crew.

       Am    C     E           Am
Derry down, down, down, derry down.