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): 
 

    
        Abrir tablatura
        
    
    
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