Stan Rogers - White Squall

white squall – stan rogers

C C Am F
now it’s just my luck to have the watch , with nothing left to do
E E Dm G
but watch the deadly waters glide , as we roll north to the soo
C C Am F
and wonder when they’ll turn again , and pitch us to the rail
Em G C C
and whirl off one more youngster in the gale

C C Am F
the kid was so damned eager , it was all so big and new
E E Dm G
you never had to tell him twice , or find him work to do
C C Am F
and evenings on the mess deck , he was always first to sing
Em G C C
and show us pictures of the girl he’d wed in spring

chorus one ( after verses 1 , 3 , ) :
G G/B F E
but i told that kid a hundred times , don’t take the lakes for granted
Am E Dm G
they’ll go from calm to a hundred knots , so fast they seem en – chanted
C C Am F
but to – night some red – eyed wiarton girl , lies staring at the wall
E G C C
and her lover’s gone in – to a white squall

C C Am F
now it’s a thing that us old – timers know , in a sultry summer calm
E E Dm G
there comes a blow from nowhere , and it goes off like a bomb
C C Am F
and a sixteen thousand tonner can be thrown upon her beam
Em G C C
while the gale takes all before it with a scream

C C Am F
the kid was on the hatches , lying staring at the sky
E E Dm G
from where i stood , i swear i could , see tears fall from his eye
C C Am F
so i hadn’t the heart to tell him , that he should be on a line
Em G C C
even on a night so warm and fine

white squall page two

C C Am F
when it struck , he sat up with a start , i roared to him : get down
E E Dm G
but for all that he could hear , i might as well not made a sound

C C Am F
so i clung there to the stanchions and i felt my face grow pale
Em G C C
as he crawled hand – over – hand along the rail

C C Am F
now i could feel her heeling over with the fury of the blow
E E Dm F
and i watched the rail go under then , so terrible and slow
C C Am F
then like some great dog she shook herself and roared upright A – gain
Em G C C
while overside i heard him call my name

C C Am F
so it’s just my luck to have the watch , with nothing left to do
E E Dm G
but watch the deadly waters glide , as we roll north to the soo
C C Am F
and wonder when they’ll turn again , and pitch us to the rail
Em G C C
and whirl off one more youngster in the gale

chorus two :
G G/B F E
and i tell these kids a hundred times , don’t take the lakes for granted
Am E Dm G
they’ll go from calm to a hundred knots , so fast they seem en – chanted
C C Am F
but to – night some red – eyed wiarton girl , lies staring at the wall
E G C C
and her lover’s gone into a white squall