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
