Originally by Jimmy Buffett
Covered by Jack Johnson 
A Pirate Looks at 40
Tabbed by:Matt Jones


Jack Johnson's version is faithful to the original in terms of chord progression, but instead of a full band playing (and strumming the chords) it's just Jack and his guitar. One of the main differences in the two versions is Jack leaves off the last two verses (finishes with "just a few friends") wheras Jimmy keeps going. Any way you square it though, this is a great song and easy to play.

Chord Progression:
G C G Am D G

Picking guide (fingerstyle):

G                      C                  Am                    D

E--------3-------3---|------0-------0---|------0---------0---|------2-------2---
B--------3-------3---|------1-------1---|------1---------1---|------3-------3---
G------0---0---0---0-|----0---0---0---0-|----2---2-----2---2-|----2---2---2---2-
D------------0-------|----------2-------|----------0h2-------|--0---------------
A--------------------|--3---------------|--0-----------------|----------0------- 
E----3---------------|------------------|--------------------|------------------



With the lyrics... these were slightly modified by Jack Johnson, but only slightly. In other words, I hope the parrotheads won't hold it against me for what they perceive to be errors ;-).

G
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call 

C                                                           G
I've wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall 

              Am  D 
You've seen it all, 

               G
you've seen it all 

        
I've watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam 
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen 
Most of 'em dreams, most of 'em dreams 

Yes I am a pirate, a few hundred years too late 
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder 
I'm an under-forty victim of fate 
Arriving too late, arriving too late 

I've done a bit of smugglin', I've run my share of grass 
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast 
Never meant to last, never meant to last 

And I have been drunk now for over two weeks 
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks 
But I got stop wishin', got to go fishin' 
Down to rock bottom again 
with just a few friends, with just a few friends


*** This is where Johnson's version ends. Buffett adds an instrumental here and then continues on with:

I go for younger women, lived with several awhile 
Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day 
Still could manage to smile 
Just takes a while, just takes a while 

Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found 
My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around 
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown