Barrett's Privateers - Stan Rogers - MP3 instrumental karaoke

"Barrett's Privateers" is a modern sea shanty written and performed by Canadian folk musician Stan Rogers. It was released in 1976 as part of his album, Fogarty's Cove. Though all of the characters in the song are fictional, the singer-songwriter offered several meticulous historical details about privateering in the 18th century. The track uses an unaccompanied, call-and-response format, typical of traditional sea shanties, capturing the hardship, danger, and camaraderie of seafaring life. The song's lyrical theme is a harrowing tale of a young sailor lured by the promise of wealth and adventure, only to face disaster and devastation aboard a ship named Antelope. Its narrative carries a broader message about the human cost of war and the bitter disillusionment that follows unfulfilled dreams. The song, composed by Stan Rogers and produced by Paul Mills, did not chart widely at its release but has since gained popularity as a drinking song. In the decades that followed, "Barrett's Privateers" became the de facto anthem of the Royan Canadian Navy.