[Intro]

 

G   C    D   C D G G F# C D

 

[Verse]

 

      G

She   went down last Oc -   tober,

       C   -   D         G

In a   pouring driving   rain,

      Am

The   skipper he'd been   drinking and

      C                 D

The   mate he felt no   pain,

      G

Too   close to Three Mile   Rock and

          C                  G

She was   dealt her mortal   blow and

      Am                          D

The   Mary Ellen Carter settled   low.

            G

There was   just us five a -   board her,

            C                G

When she   finally was a -   wash,

     Am

We   worked like hell to   save her,

      C                 D

All   heedless of the   cost, and

      G

The   groan she gave as   she went down,

     C                    G

It   caused us to pro -   claim,

           Am           D                       G

That the   Mary Ellen   Carter would rise a -   gain.

 

 

[Break]

 

           G

Well the   owners wrote her   off,

        C  -   D            G

Not a   nickel would they   spend,

            Am

"She gave   twenty years of   service, boys,

       C               D

Then   met her sorry   end.

           G

But in -   surance paid the   loss to us,

     C                  G

So   let her rest be-   low.",

            Am

Then they   laughed at us, and,

                 D

Said we had to   go.

 

 

[Verse]

 

         G

But we   talked of her all   winter,

       C                 G

Some   days around the   clock.

        Am

She's   worth a quarter   million,

     C                 D

A -  floating at the   dock and

       G

With   every jar that   hit the bar,

      C                     G

We   swore we would re -   main and

           Am           D                 G

Make the   Mary Ellen   Carter rise a -   gain!

 

 

[Chorus]

 

           Am -  D          G

Rise a -   gain, rise a -   gain,

           C             C

That her   name not be   lost,

         G              D

To the   knowledge of   men,

      G

All   those who loved her   best and

       C          D          G

Were   with her 'til the   end,

                Am           D                  G

Will make the   Mary Ellen   Carter, rise a -   gain.

 

 

[Break]

 

      G

All   spring now we've been   with her,

       C    -     D      G

On a   barge lent by a   friend.

        Am

Three   dives a day in a   hardhat suit, and

C                    D

Twice I've had the   bends.

        G

Thank   God it's only   sixty feet, and

      C                   G

The   currents here are   slow, or

      Am

I'd   never have the   strength,

             D

To go be -   low.

            G

But we've   patched her rents,   stopped her vents,

         C                       G

Dogged   hatch, and Portholes    down,

      Am

Put   cables to her,   fore and aft and

C                D

Girded her a -   round,

       G

To -   morrow noon, we   hit the air and

C                  G

Then take up the   strain, and

           Am           D                 G

Make the   Mary Ellen   Carter rise a -   gain!

 

[Chorus]

 

           Am -  D          G

Rise a -   gain, rise a -   gain,

           C             C

That her   name not be   lost,

         G              D

To the   knowledge of   men,

      G

All   those who loved her   best and

       C          D          G

Were   with her 'til the   end,

                Am           D                  G

Will make the   Mary Ellen   Carter, rise a -   gain.

 

[Break]

 

         G

For we   couldn't  leave her   there,

             C   -   D      G

You see to   crumble into   scale.

        Am

She'd   saved our lives, so   many times,

C                    D

Living through the   gale, and

      G

The   laughing, drunken   rats,

               C            G

Who left her   to a sorry   grave,

       Am                               D

They   won't be laughing   in another   day, and

G                                  C                 G

You, to whom ad -   versity, has   dealt the final   blow,

       Am

With   smiling bastards   lying to you,

C                D

Everywhere you   go,

       G

Turn   to, and put out   all your strength,

     C                    G

Of   arm, and heart and   brain, and

           Am           D                 G

Like the   Mary Ellen   Carter rise a -   gain!

 

 

[2nd Chorus]

 

           Am      D          G

Rise a -   gain,   rise a -   gain,

              C              C

Though your   heart, it be   broken, or

G                D

Life about to   end,

     G

No   matter what you've   lost,

          C       D         G

Be it a   home, a love, a   friend,

           Am           D                 G

Like the   Mary Ellen   Carter rise a -   gain!

 

           Am      D          G

Rise a -   gain,   rise a -   gain,

              C              C

Though your   heart, it be   broken, or

G                D

Life about to   end,

     G

No   matter what you've   lost,

          C       D         G

Be it a   home, a love, a   friend,

           Am           D                 G

Like the   Mary Ellen   Carter rise a -   gain!

 

(Outro)