Imalone

[Dm]I remember, oh [C]I remember [A]well
The [Dm]most famous rum runner [C]of them [A7]all
[Dm]I remember, oh [C]I remember w[A7]ell
The [Dm]most famous rum runner [C]of them [A7]all
She was the [F]schooner from Lunenburg, Imalone
[Bb]On the Gulf of [Dm]Mexico
She went [E]down under fire from a Yankee [A]cutter
On the [Dm]high seas, out[G]side treaty [Bb]waters.

[Dm]Oh, [C]Ima[A7]lone
[Dm]A long way from Lunenburg [C]she went [A7]down
[Dm]Cause Skipper John ran and [C]wouldn't heave [A7]to
On the I[Dm]malone. [C]   [Dm]

It was in nineteen hundred and twenty nine
When smuggling liquor was a profitable pastime
Many a Maritimer didn't see why, he shouldn't turn a penny Uncle Sam was dry
Many a family took a style
Prohibition made it very worthwhile to be a good Samaritan
To long suffering, thirsty Americans.

And the schooner's captain was a wild Newfoundlander
A hard-drivin man name of John Thomas Randall
A decorated veteran of the First World War, a sea-going gentleman adventurer
>From the lees he would take the Imalone
To the coast of Louisiana and anchor south of the Trinity Shore
Where he would meet his man and discharge his cargo according to plan

And it was all clear sailing for the Imalone
With the profits from 6 or 7 trips salted down
The coast guard had bothered them a couple of times
But skipper John's seamanship had left them behind
One march morning in the wind and the squall
She was reaching along under jumbo jib and storm try sail
When the cutter Dexter cut in on the Imalone's starboard quarter

The Dexter's captain was a very rough man
He swore he'd never lose the Imalone again
He ran a stream of signals saying' "how do you do?"
Ya know that I'll fire if you don't heave to
Skipper John semaphored immediately, I'm on the high seas
You have no jurisdiction over me
The Dexter's captain sent several vollies through the Imalone's rigging

The bullets tore the booze and the sails and the lines
They even tore a hole in the red ensign
When Skipper John saw it he was fit to be tied
At the disrespect shown to his national pride
The crew said sir don't you trouble your mind
We'll all go down together with the red ensign a flying'
He signalled to the Dexter to shoot and be dammed to you I'll not surrender

The Dexter opened fire and it didn't take long
When her guns stitched a seam along the Imalone's waterline
Skipper John ordered every man to the sea
There was water on the bridge when he himself jumped free
Stern in the air the Imalone went down
Heavy seas a running it's a wonder only one man was drown
The bosun was the one who was pulled aboard the cutter when his life was gone

And that's how it happened and there isn't much more
The Imalone became an international affair
Skipper John and his seamen were all released
The US government couldn't make a case
That kind of violence is bound to happen
When a law like prohibition sits up and begs to be broken
We still remember the story of the Imalone and Skipper John Randall

Mike Corbett
Box 173
Bear River, N.S.
BOS 1BO
Phone: 902-467-3871

I think I am, therefore, I am, I think.