How many British folk traditionals are there about that promising young man who becomes 
a pirate and then leads a short and wretched life before suffering a cruel death? This is 
one of them. I could only figure out the basic chords, however, and not the beautifull 
guitar part as it was played by Jerry Donahue on the original recording.  
 
      C       G          Am 
Come all you wild young men 
       C       F       G 
And a warning take by lead 
 C      F        C          G 
Never lead your single life astray 
    C        G    Am 
Or into bad company 
 
As I myself have done 
Being all in the month of may 
When I was pressed by a sea captain 
A privateer to tray 
 
To the East Indies we were bound 
To plunder the region main 
And it's many a brave and a gally and ship 
We sent to a watery grave 
 
Off a freeport we did steer 
Our provisions to renew 
When we did spy a bold man of war 
sailing three feet toward too 
  
And she fired in cross our bow 
Heave through and don't refuse 
Surrender now into our command 
Or else your lives you'll lose 
 
And our decks they were splattered with blood 
And our canons did loudly roar 
And broadside and broadside a long time we laid 
Until we could fire no more 
          C               D              G 
  And a thousand times I quested myself again 
           C          G            Am 
  For the love of me Polly on the shore 
 
(Instrumental break. Ominous sounds by Jerry on the Tele, Swarb' on the strings and Pegg 
on the bass, with a slow and steady basis laid bij Dave the drums and Trevor on acoustic. 
Do try this at home) 
 
She's a tall and a slender girl 
With a dark and a golden eye 
And here am I am bleeding on the deck 
And for us we say must lie 
 
And farewell me family and friends 
Likewise my Polly too 
I would never have sailed the salt sea wide 
If I had been ruled by you 
  And a thousand times I saw myself again 
  For the love of me Polly on the shore