Chords for Anita Best

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_ _ _ _ _ _ Pray for our own native Isle, _ Newfoundland.
Not a stranger shall hold not one inch of [N] her strand. _
Her face turns to [Eb] Britain, her back to the [C] Gulf.
Come near at your peril, Canadian woe.
_ Ye [Ab] brave Newfoundlanders who plough the [Bb] salt sea,
[N] With hearts like the eagle, so bold and so free.
The time is at hand when you'll all have to say,
If _ Confederation will carry the day. _ _
Sheep, tea, and molasses they say they [Bb] will give,
And the taxes take [Eb] off so the poor man may live.
Cheap [N] nails and cheap lumber our coffins to make,
And homespun to mend our old clothes when they [Bb] break. _ _ _ _ _ _
And, hang the [N] last line, _ _ _
Would you barter the right that your fathers had won?
That freedom transmitted to daughter [Eb] and son,
[Gb] For a few thousand dollars of Canadian [Bb] gold.
_ Don't let it be said that your birthright was sold.
_ [N] _ _ _ _
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In cotton, in holland, in frost, and in snow,
We're up against troubles that few people know.
And it's only by patience and courage and grit,
And eating plain food can we keep ourselves fit.
The hard and easy we take as it [G] comes,
[Eb] When puns freeze over [C] we shorten our runs.
Now to hurry me holland the spring coming on,
[N] Nearly lost me my mare on the Togolco pond.
_ _ I knew that the ice became weaker each day,
But I still took the risk and [C] kept hauling away.
One evening in April bound home with a load,
The mare showed [E] some halting against the ice road.
She knew more [Bb] than I did as matters turned out,
Lucky [Eb] for me had I joined her [N] in doubt.
Well she turned round her head and with tears in her eyes,
As if she were saying [Bb] you're risking our _ [G] lives.
All this I ignored with a whip-handled [Cm] blow,
For man is too stupid dumb creatures to know.
In the very next moment [N] the pond gave a sigh,
And down to our necks went poor Kitty and I.
Now if I had taken wise Kitty's [Eb] advice,
I never would make that shortcut down the [N] ice.
Poor creature she's dead, poor creature she's gone,
And I'll dare get my wood off the Togolco pond.
_ _ I raised an alarm you could hear for a mile,
And neighbours turned up in a very short while.
You can always rely on the old fords and whites,
To [Bb] render assistance in all your sad plights.
To help a poor neighbour is part of their lives,
Same I can say for their children and wives.
When the rope it was [Gb] fastened around the mayor's breast,
William White for a shanty song made a request.
There was no time for thinking, [Bb] no time for delay,
Straight from my head came these words right away,
[N] Lay hold William O'Ford, lay hold William White,
Lay hold to the bow and then pull all your might.
Lay hold to [Bb] the bow and then pull all your might.
[Bb] And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond.
Lay hold [N] William O'Ford, lay hold William White,
Lay hold to the hauser and pull all your might.
Lay hold to the cordage and pull all your might.
And with that we got Kit out of Togolco pond. _ _ _ _
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