Oct92020

Derina Harvey Band – The Last Shanty Chords on Piano & Ukulele

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[Verse 1] 
         C                 
Well, me father often told 
        C
me when I was just a lad:
  C                          
a sailor's life is very hard, 
     G
the food is always bad.
     C                   
But, now I've joined the 
           C
Navy, I'm aboard a man-o-war,
    C                      
and now I've found a sailor 
         Am*    G* C
ain't a sailor anymore.

[Chorus] 
      C                 
Don't haul on the rope, 
      C
don't climb up the mast,
C            Am          
if you see a sailing ship 
    D7            G7
it might be your last.
     C                     
Just get your civvies ready 
      C
for another run-ashore,
  C              Am      
a sailor ain't a sailor, 
        F      G  C
ain't a sailor anymore.

[Interlude]
C         C
C    Am   F G  C

[Verse 2]
          C                   
Well, the killick of our mess, 
    C
he says we had it soft,
   C                       
it wasn't like that in his 
         G
day when we were up aloft.
   C                          
We like our bunks and sleeping 
          C
bags but what's a hammock for?
C                          
Swinging from the deckhead, 
    Am G          C
or lying on the floor?

[Chorus]
      C                 
Don't haul on the rope, 
      C
don't climb up the mast,
C            Am          
if you see a sailing ship 
    D7            G7
it might be your last.
     C                     
Just get your civvies ready 
      C
for another run-ashore,
  C              Am      
a sailor ain't a sailor, 
        F      G  C
ain't a sailor anymore.

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[Interlude]
C         C
C    Am   F G  C

[Verse 3]
     C                     
They gave us an engine that 
 C
first went up and down,
C                        
then with more technology 
     G
the engine went around.
   C                         
We know our steam and diesels 
     C
but what's a mainyard for?
  C                         
A stoker ain't a stoker with 
   Am     G  C
a shovel anymore.

[Chorus]
      C                
Don't haul on the rope, 
       C
don't climb up the mast,
C            Am           
if you see a sailing ship 
   D7            G7
it might be your last.
     C                     
Just get your civvies ready 
      C
for another run-ashore,
  C              Am      
a sailor ain't a sailor, 
        F      G  C
ain't a sailor anymore.

[Interlude]
C         C
C    Am   F G  C

[Verse 4]
     C                      
They gave us an Aldiss Lamp, 
     C
so, we could do it right,
     C                  
they gave us a radio, we 
 G
signaled day and night.
   C                         
We know our codes and cyphers 
     C
but what's a sema for?
  C*                              
A bunting-tosser doesn't 
toss the bunting anymore.

Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator to see every chord in this song on guitar, ukulele and piano.

[Chorus]
      C                
Don't haul on the rope, 
       C
don't climb up the mast,
C            Am          
if you see a sailing ship 
    D7            G7
it might be your last.
     C                      
Just get your civvies ready 
     C
for another run-ashore,
  C              Am      
a sailor ain't a sailor, 
        F      G  C
ain't a sailor anymore.

[Interlude]
F      F      F      C           
F      F      C      F
F      F      F      C           
F      F      C      F
Dm     Dm     C      C            
Dm     Dm     C      Dm
Dm     Dm     C      C            
Dm     Dm     C      Am
F      F      F      C            
F      F      C      F
F      F      F      C            
F      F      Bb C   F

[Interlude]
D        D

[Verse 5]
D*                        
Two cans of beer a day and 
that's your bleeding lot,
and now we've got an extra 
one because they stopped The Tot.
    D*    D*         
So, we'll put on our 
              D*   D*
civvy-clothes find a pub ashore.
  D*                         
A sailor's just a sailor 
just like he was before.

[Chorus]
      D                
Don't haul on the rope, 
       D
don't climb up the mast,
D            Bm           
if you see a sailing ship 
   E7            A7
it might be your last.
     D                     
Just get your civvies ready 
      D
for another run-ashore,
  D              Bm      
a sailor ain't a sailor, 
        G      A  D
ain't a sailor anymore.

[End-Chorus]
      D                 
Don't haul on the rope, 
      D
don't climb up the mast,
D            Bm           
if you see a sailing ship 
   E7            A7
it might be your last.
     D                     
Just get your civvies ready 
      D
for another run-ashore,
  D              Bm      
a sailor ain't a sailor, 
        G      A  D
ain't a sailor anymore.
  D              Bm      
A sailor ain't a sailor, 
        G      A  D
ain't a sailor anymore.
  D              Bm      
A sailor ain't a sailor, 
        G      A  D      D*
ain't a sailor anymore.

How to play The Last Shanty: key, chords and progression

This is the chords of The Last Shanty by Derina Harvey Band on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

The Last Shanty by Derina Harvey Band is centred on C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 13 chords: C, G, Am, D7, G7, F, Dm, Bb, D, Bm, E7 and A7 and 1 more.

The backbone of the song is C – Am – F – G (I – vi – IV – V in C major), the classic 1950s “doo-wop” progression. In solfa, that is doh – lah – fah – soh. Practise these 4 changes until they feel natural and you can play most of it.

Good to know: F, Bb and Bm are played as barre or movable shapes on guitar. Practise the change into them slowly; on piano and ukulele the same chords are easier.