C  Dm  C  F  C  G  F  C G/B

[Verse]
     C             F             C          F
On a fine summer's morning as we lay at the quay
    C                 Dm            F                G
The holds were filled high with the treasures of the sea
        C                  F         C           F
So that they could be transported by men such as we
   C        Dm7     G     C G G/A
To homeland and for Queen

[Verse]
G/B      C           F        C            F
When the loading was done, we hoisted full sail
           C             Dm             F              G     G/A
Prayed for good winds to guide us and deliverance from gales
G/B     C               F              C               F
And the thoughts of the crew turned to home and strong ale
      C            G             F
As we cast off the ropes and set sail

[Chorus]
G                C       F
Fight for honour and for praise
G                             C
Sailed the sea throughout the days
        G/B               Am
In cold ground I'll never lay
    F      G          Am     F G Am
I'd rather die on the ocean

[Verse]
       C           F           C           F
Thirty days out to sea and the weather was fine
    C              Dm             F           G
The wind that we'd prayed for and making good time
    C         F              C          F
The honour of first home was soon to be mine
   C        Dm7    G     C G
To homeland and to Queen

[Verse]
        C            F              C                F
But the night became stormy and the wind changed our course
  C          Dm              F             G
A gale was a-blowing and the wind gathered force
      C           F         C              F
And I wondered if ever we'd reach our home port
      C           G/B         F
Or if we'd all be lost in the storm

[Chorus]
G                C       F
Fight for honour and for praise
G                             C
Sailed the sea throughout the days
        G/B               Am
In cold ground I'll never lay
    F      G          Am     F G Am
I'd rather die on the ocean

[Verse]
          C                F            C            F
Well, the waves washed the deck, in the wind we were locked
  C               Dm            F            G
I fought with the wheel to stay clear of the rocks
        C              F            C             F
But the fighting is in vain, in the storm we were lost
        C             Dm7        G    C G
And our prayers blew away on the wind

[Verse]
        C             F            C          F
Well, I coughed and I choked and I tasted the sea
         C        Dm               F          G
I looked over the sands, there was no one but me
      C             F            C                F
And I knew that the might of the sea had finished me
      C               G/B            F
And I wished that I'd drowned in the storm

[Chorus]
G                C       F
Fight for honour and for praise
G                             C
Sailed the sea throughout the days
        G/B               Am
In cold ground I'll never lay
    F      G          Am
I'd rather die on the ocean

[Verse]
         C              F               C          F
And I've lived with the thought for the rest of m' days
         C         Dm           F            G
That I'd given the lives of the crew just to pay
   C             F           C          F
In search of the garlands of honour and praise
      C             G              F
And I wish that I'd drowned in the storm

[Chorus]
G                C       F
Fight for honour and for praise
G                             C
Sailed the sea throughout the days
        G/B               Am
In cold ground I'll never lay
    F      G          Am
I'd rather die on the ocean

[Chorus]
G                C       F
Fight for honour and for praise
G                             C
Sailed the sea throughout the days
        G/B               Am
In cold ground I'll never lay
    F      G          Am     F G Am
I'd rather die on the ocean