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The Shipyard Apprentice

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Cmajor

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Barbara Dickson - The Shipyard Apprentice
[INTRO:] C  
[VERSE 1:]
GI was Cborn in the shadow of a GFairfield crane 
And the Dmblast of a Ffreighter's Chorn
Was the Gvery first Fsound that Creached my ears
On the Dmmorning FI was Gborn
As I lay and I listened to the Dmshipyard sounds
Coming Fout of Gthe unCknown
I was Glulled to Fsleep by a Cmother tongue
That Dmwas to Fbe my Gown
[VERSE 2:]
BeCfore I grew to Gone year old
I Dmheard the Fsirens Cscream
As a Gcity Fwatched in the Cblacked-out night
A Dmwandering Fsearchlight Gbeam
And then one day I aDmwoke and rose
To Fmy first Gday of Cpeace
And I Glearned that the Fbattle to Cstay alive
Was Dmnever Fgoing to Gcease
[VERSE 3:]
And I Csat in the school from Gnine to four
And I Dmdreamed of the Fworld outCside
Where the Griveters Fand the Cplaters watch
Their Dmships slip Fto the GClyde
Where the girls are placing Dmstone on stone
And can Fwatch his GLabourer's CRow
My Gtime will Fcome to Cwalk with them
In the Dmland I Flove to Gknow
[VERSE 4:]
And Cthen one day when they Gset me free
I'll be Dmwalking Flike a Cman
Wi' my Gpurses Fweighted Cin my boots
In the Dmshadow Fo'er the Gclan
And the oil and the grease will Dmstain my skin
ForFever Gon my Chands
A Gliving Fsign that I've Cbeen set free
That DmI've beFcome a Gman

All chords in this song (4)

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The Shipyard Apprentice

by Barbara Dickson

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Barbara Dickson - The Shipyard Apprentice

[INTRO:]

[VERSE 1:]

G C G

I was born in the shadow of a Fairfield crane

Dm F C

And the blast of a freighter's horn

G F C

Was the very first sound that reached my ears

Dm F G

On the morning I was born

As I lay and I listened to the shipyard sounds

F G C

Coming out of the unknown

G F C

I was lulled to sleep by a mother tongue

Dm F G

That was to be my own

[VERSE 2:]

C G

Before I grew to one year old

Dm F C

I heard the sirens scream

G F C

As a city watched in the blacked-out night

Dm F G

A wandering searchlight beam

And then one day I awoke and rose

F G C

To my first day of peace

G F C

And I learned that the battle to stay alive

Dm F G

Was never going to cease

[VERSE 3:]

C G

And I sat in the school from nine to four

Dm F C

And I dreamed of the world outside

G F C

Where the riveters and the platers watch

Dm F G

Their ships slip to the Clyde

Where the girls are placing stone on stone

F G C

And can watch his Labourer's Row

G F C

My time will come to walk with them

Dm F G

In the land I love to know

[VERSE 4:]

C G

And then one day when they set me free

Dm F C

I'll be walking like a man

G F C

Wi' my purses weighted in my boots

Dm F G

In the shadow o'er the clan

And the oil and the grease will stain my skin

F G C

Forever on my hands

G F C

A living sign that I've been set free

Dm F G

That I've become a man

About The Shipyard Apprentice Chords by Barbara Dickson

Learn how to play The Shipyard Apprentice by Barbara Dickson with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Shipyard Apprentice chords”, “The Shipyard Apprentice guitar chords”, or “Barbara Dickson The Shipyard Apprentice chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Shipyard Apprentice chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Shipyard Apprentice lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, G, Dm, F, A.

FAQ — The Shipyard Apprentice by Barbara Dickson

How do I play "The Shipyard Apprentice" by Barbara Dickson on guitar?

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Is "The Shipyard Apprentice" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Shipyard Apprentice" by Barbara Dickson with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Barbara Dickson below.

What key is "The Shipyard Apprentice" in?

The chords for "The Shipyard Apprentice" show the original chord names (including C, G, Dm, F, A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.