Privateering Lyrics
Mark Knopfler
Lyrics
Yon's my privateer
See how trim she lies
To every man a lucky hand
And every man a prize
I live to ride the ocean
The mighty world around
To take a little plunder
And to hear the cannon sound
To lay with pretty women
To drink Madeira wine
To hear the rollers thunder
On a shore that isn't mine
Privateering we will go
Privateering, yo ho ho ho
Privateering we will go
Yo ho ho, yo ho ho
The people on your man o' war
Are treated worse than scum
I'm no flogging captain
And by God I've sailed with some
Come with me to Barbary
We'll ply there up and down
Not quite exactly
In the service of the Crown
To lay with pretty women
To drink Madeira wine
To hear the rollers thunder
On a shore that isn't mine
Privateering we will go
Privateering, yo ho ho ho
Privateering we will go
Yo ho ho, yo ho ho
Look'ee there's my privateer
She's small but she can sting
Licensed to take prizes
With a letter from the King
I love the streets and taverns
Of a pretty foreign town
Tip my hat to the dark-eyed ladies
As we sally up and down
To lay with pretty women
To drink Madeira wine
To hear the rollers thunder
On a shore that isn't mine
Privateering we will go
Privateering, yo ho ho ho
Privateering we will go
Yo ho ho, yo ho ho
Britannia needs her privateers
Each time she goes to war
Death to all her enemies
Though prizes matter more
Come with me to Barbary
We'll ply there up and down
Not quite exactly
In the service of the Crown
To lay with pretty women
To drink Madeira wine
To hear the rollers thunder
On a shore that isn't mine
Privateering we will go
Privateering, yo ho ho ho
Privateering we will go
Yo ho ho, yo ho ho
Song & Lyrics Facts
Mark Knopfler's Privateering is a song from his seventh solo album of the same name which was released in 2012. The track was written by Mark Knopfler and produced with Guy Fletcher.
It features members of the band Dire Straits, including John Illsley on bass, Mick Taylor on guitar and Alan Clark on keyboards. The song has a bluesy feel to it, as Knopfler sings about being on the road for months at a time and having no home. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and longing for a place to call home. Privateering was released on September 3rd, 2012 and remains one of the most popular songs from the album.