A PIRATE LOOKS AT FORTY - Jimmy Buffett

NICE WORK THERE JONNYT
Those extra verses are pretty good
new post is work in progress
Comiing soon to a forum near you
jr
in the meantime dont let me slow you down

Thanks Bill Gates Jr.

When my friend told me he wanted to have a 40th birthday party at my house (he lives in LosAngles, CA - me in Springfield, IL - his hometown) I said great... how about Bernie's Birthday Buffett Bash?

So he did a Pirate Looks at 40 Tour including stops in Vegas, Chicago and elsewhere, did up shirts and everything. We served up cheeseburgers and margaritas, and decorated in typical Buffett fashion.

I knew I would perform the song at the party (I always play some at my parties) and I knew I would have to make it personal. Sat down one Sunday morning with a couple of ideas for additional verses and next thing I knew, I had 4 verses that really hit the nail on the head. It went over big!

Whenever I play that song for myself, I still have to play those extra verses and laugh. I just sent him an e-mail with a link to this forum page... nothing like seeing it in print almost 3 years later.

I'm playing a version of this song that has a few different things. I thing they sound good- you may want to try them. On the second line, just befor ethe change from C to G, I throw in a quick D>Am7 before the G, like this:

(C) Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was (D) three (Am7)feet (G)tall

And then on the last line again I have a quick D before the Am7

(Am)You've seen it all,(D>Am7)you've seen it (G)all.

Try it and see how you think it sounds.

Thanks! Anything to make it a better performance piece I'm all for! I'll try it against the original recording and let you know.

I'm looking at my Jimmy Buffett "Songs You Know By Heart" Guitar Tab Edition book, and it shows:

[C] Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was [C/B]three [C/A]feet [G]tall.

It shows the C/B played from low to high X 2 2 0 1 0 and the C/A played from low to high X 0 2 0 1 0.

Then on the last line they show...

[G]You've seen it [Am7]all, [G(9)/B] [Am7]you've seen it [G]all.

The books shows the G(9)/B played from low to high = X 2 0 2 3 X.

"Darn tab books! Now I have to go back and listen and play and compare and probably edit and repost, and then it won't be such an easy song and................" :)

Slipperman Mike,

I like your D - Am7 - G at the end of the third line better then what my book shows with C/B - C/A - G. I don't like the C/B, though the C/A sounds good.

Personally, on the forth line, I don't care for D thrown in there for one strum inbetween the two Am7's, and the G(9)/B as shown in my book is just O.K., but I'm not crazy about it either. I'd rather do a more regular G/B/D like X 2 0 0 3 X sounds good inbetween the two Am7's.

As long as you like it and your audience doesn't mine, play it as you will! If they're Parrot Heads they'll be drunk anyway and think you're great just for playing Buffett in the first place.

Jonny T.

Slipperman - is your other pair of shoes Hush Puppies?

Here's the re-post with your additional chord changes plus one alternative on the last line of each verse...

A PIRATE LOOKS AT FORTY - Jimmy Buffett

INTRO:
1/E |--7-7--5-5--3---7-7--5-5--3-------------------------------------------3--|
2/B |--8-8--7-7--3---8-8--7-7--3---------1------------3---------1--------3--|
3/G |--7-7--7-7--4---7-7--7-7--4-------0---0-------0---0-----0---0-----0--|
4/D |--------7-7--5---------7-7--5-----2-----------4-----------2-----------0--|
5/A |-----------------------------------0---------------------------------------2--|
6/E |----------------------------------------------------------------------------3--|

VERSE 1: (G/B/D* = X 2 0 0 3 X single strum)
[G]Mother mother ocean, I have heard you call,
[C]wanted to sail upon your waters since I was [D]three [Am7]feet [G]tall.
You've seen it [Am]all, [G/B/D*] [Am7]you've seen it [G]all.

VERSE 2:
[G]Watched the men who rode you, switch from sail to steam.
And [C]in your belly you hold the treasures, that few have [D]ev[Am7]er [G]seen.
Most of them [Am]dreams, [G/B/D*] [Am7]most of them [G]dreams.

VERSE 3:
[G]Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late.
The [C]cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder,
I'm an over forty [D]victim [Am7]of [G]fate;
arriving to [Am]late, [G/B/D*] [Am7]arriving to [G]late.

VERSE 4:
[G]I done a bit of smugglin', I've run my share of grass.
I [C]made enough money, to buy Miami, but I pissed it a[D]way [Am7]so [G]fast.
Never meant to [Am]last, [G/B/D*] [Am7]never meant to [G]last.

VERSE 5:
[G]I have been drunk now for over two weeks.
I passed out and I rallied and I smoked a few reefs.
But I've [C]got stop wishin', got to go fishin',
I'm down to rock [D]bottom [Am7]a[G]gain.
Just a few [Am]friends, [G/B/D*] [Am7]just a few [G]friends.

VERSE 6: (rhythm instrumental same as verse + a lead solo)

VERSE 7:
[G]Now I go for younger women, lived with several a while.
Though I [C]ran them away, they come back one day,
and I still can [D]manage [Am7]a [G]smile.
Just takes a[Am]while, [G/B/D*] [Am7]just takes a [G]while.

VERSE 8:
[G]Mother mother [NC]ocean, after all my years I've found.[G]
My [C]occupational hazard is my occupation's [D]just not [Am7]a[G]round.
I feel like I've [Am]drowned, [G/B/D*] [Am7]but I won't wear a [G]frown.
I feel like I've [Am]drowned, [G/B/D*] [Am7]gonna head up [G]town.

OUTTRO:
1/E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
2/B |--------1----------3---------1---------0-----1----0h1--0h1--0---|
3/G |------0---0-----0---0-----0---0------0-----0----0-----0-----0---|
4/D |----2----------4---------2-------------0-----2----0h2--0h2--0---|
5/A |--0-------------------------------------------------------------------|
6/E |--------------------------------------3----3-----3-------------------|

EXTRA BERNIE VERSES by Jonny T.

VERSE 1:

[G]His mother mother told him, life is a merry-go-round.
Check his [C]resume, but you could say,
his number of [D]jobs [Am7]a[G]stound.
He is now re[Am]nowned, [G/B/D*] but [Am7]still dumb [G]found.

VERSE 2:

[G]He goes for red head women, lived with several awhile.
But [C]to his dismay, they just weren't gay,
so he avoided going [D]down [Am7]the [G]aisle.
Another debt to com[Am]pile, [G/B/D*] missed him [Am7]by a [G]mile.

VERSE 3:

[G]Yes he is a pirate, forty years to date.
But his [C]cannon still thunders and there's panties to plunder,
he may be forty but [D]still [Am7]can't [G]wait.
At least he's not [Am]late, [G/B/D*] just [Am7]forty years to [G]date.

VERSE 4:

[G]He's done a bit of snugglin', he's had his share of a_s.
But [C]come these days, when he gets laid,
it happens [D]way [Am7]to [G]fast.
It just won't [Am]last, [G/B/D*] [Am7]those days are [G]past.
It just won't [Am]last, [G/B/D*] [Am7]time to pass [G]gas.

OUTTRO:
1/E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
2/B |--------1----------3---------1---------0-----1----0h1--0h1--0---|
3/G |------0---0-----0---0-----0---0------0-----0----0-----0-----0---|
4/D |----2----------4---------2-------------0-----2----0h2--0h2--0---|
5/A |--0-------------------------------------------------------------------|
6/E |--------------------------------------3----3-----3-------------------|

Slipperman - is your other pair of shoes Hush Puppies?

Actually, I rarely wear slippers. I kind of like to walk around the house in my stocking feet (except if they get wet). Slipperman is actually a reference to a Genesis song on The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway album.

And I may play the song to a bunch of drunk Parrotheads at a party next weekend. We'll see how they like it.