"Jack Hinks"

A slightly different variant, collected and edited by Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf and recorded in the field by Grace Yarrow Mansfield, was published as #131 in Ballads And Sea Songs Of Newfoundland by Harvard University Press (1933);

(First collected and edited by Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf and recorded in the field by Grace Yarrow Mansfield. Published with permission of Gerald S Doyle, St John's, NL, as #131 on pp.264-265 in Ballads And Sea Songs Of Newfoundland, (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1933; Folklore Associates, Hatboro, PA, 1968).) The full lyrics;

Jack Hinks (collected by Mansfield)

Ye muses so kind, that are guided by wind,
On the ocean as well as on shore;
Assist a poor bard how to candle his card,
Without ceasing where billows do roar;
Not of Cupids he sings, nor of country nor kings,
Or of any such trifles he thinks;
But of seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking heroes like Hinks.

When Jack comes ashore he has money galore,
And he's seldom cut short of a job;
He can dress as well now, as many can tell,
With a good silver watch in his fob;
Poor Jack in his life was ne'er plagued with a wife,
Though sometimes with lasses he links;
He's a seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking hero, John Hinks.

When inclined for to spend he walks in with a friend,
And with pleasure he sits himself down;
He tips off his glass as he winks at the lass,
And he smiles if she happens to frown;
Like a rattling true blue when the reckoning comes due,
On the table the money he clinks;
This seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks.

Bound home the other fall we fell in with a squall,
Near the northern head of Cape Freels;
We were cast away without further delay,
At the thought how my spirit it chills;
We were cast upon rocks like a hard-hunted fox,
Then of death and destruction he thinks;
That seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks.

Oh, Jack without fail was out in that same gale,
Having drove across Bonavist' Bay;
Old Neptune did rail as he handled all sail,
And then had their two spars cut away;
But Providence kind who so eases the wind,
And on seamen so constantly thinks;
Saved that seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks.

Oh, death it will come like the sound of a drum,
For to summon poor Jack to his grave;
What more could he do, for you all know 'tis true,
'Tis the fate of both hero and slave;
His soul sails afloat so doleful and soft,
While the bell for the funeral clinks;
Oh, peace to that seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking hero, John Hinks.

A variant was also published in Gerald S. Doyle's Old-Time Songs And Poetry Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers (Second edition, p.9, 1940; Third edition, p.9, 1955).

Jack Hinks (from various Gerald S. Doyle books)
Ye muses, so kind, that are guarded by wind,
On the ocean as well as on shore,
Assist the poor bard to handle his card,
Without ceasing where billows do roar;
Not of Cupids he sings, nor of country nor kings,
Or of any such trifles he thinks,
But of seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking heroes like Hinks.

When Jack comes on shore he has money galore,
And he's seldom cut short of a job,
He can dress as well as many can tell,
With a good silver watch in his fob;
Poor Jack in his life was ne'er plagued with a wife,
Though sometimes with lasses he links,
He's a seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering grog-drinking hero, John Hinks.

When inclined for to spend he walks in with a friend,
And with pleasure he sits himself down,
He tips off his glass as he winks at the lass,
And he smiles when she happens to frown;
Like a rattling true blue when the reckoning comes due,
On the table the money he clinks,
This seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks.

Bound home the other fall we fell in with a squall,
Near the northern head of Cape Freels,
We were cast away without further delay,
At the thought now my spirit it chills;
We were cast upon rocks like a hard hunted fox -
Of death and destruction he thinks,
That seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks.

Oh, Jack without fail was out in that same gale,
As the ship on her beam ends did lay,
Old Neptune did rail while he handled all sail -
And they had their two spars cut away;
But Providence kind who so eases the wind,
And on seamen so constantly thinks,
Saved that seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks.

Oh, death it will come like the sound of a drum,
For to summon poor Jack to his grave,
What more could he do for you all know 'tis true,
'Tis the fate of both hero and slave;
His soul soars afloat so doleful and soft,
While the bell for the funeral clinks,
Oh, peace to that seafaring, sailmaking, gamboling,
Capering, grog-drinking hero, John Hinks.

Finally, here's the Great Big Sea version (note that the chords seem to indicate that it is played in the key of C, but that because the guitar is capoed up 5, it is actually in F);

Jack Hinks (Great Big Sea)
Ah.... When Jack comes ashore,
He's got money galore, and he's seldom cut short of a job;
He can dress now as well, as any can tell,
With a good silver watch in his fob.
Poor Jack in his life, was ne'er paired with a wife,
Though sometimes with lasses he links;
He's a seafaring, sail-making, gamboling, capering, grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks,
Oh, oh, Jack Hinks.

When inclined for to spend, he walks in with a friend,
And with pleasure he sits himself down;
He tips off his glass, and he winks at the lass,
And he smiles if she happens to frown.
And like a rattling true blue, when the reckoning comes due,
On the table the money he clinks.
He's a seafaring, sail-making, gamboling, capering, grog-drinking hero....

(here they seque into another tune..)
(then back again)

Bound home the other fall, we fell into a squall,
'Round the northernmost head of Cape Freels;
We were washed away, without further delay,
At the thought how my spirit it chills.
We were bashed on the rocks, like a hard-hunted fox,
Of death and destruction we thinks;
He's a seafaring, sail-making, gamboling, capering, grog-drinking hero, Jack Hinks,
Oh, oh, Jack Hinks.

But, Jack, without fail, was out in that same gale,
Having drove across Bonavist' Bay;
Old Neptune did rail, as he handed off sail,
And he had his two spars cut away.
(Slower)Oh, but Providence kind so eases the wind,
And on sailors so constantly thinks;
He saved that (fast again) seafaring sail-making, gamboling, capering,
Seafaring, sail-making, gamboling, capering,
Seafaring, sail-making, gamboling, capering,
Grog-drinking hero.... Jack Hinks.

(Capo 5th fret)

Intro: [C] [Am7] [Dm7] [G] [C] [Dm] [G] [C] [Am7] [Dm7] [G] [C] [G7] [C]

When Jack comes a- [Am7] shore,
He's got [Dm7] money ga- [G] lore,
And he's [C] seldom cut [Dm] short of a [G] job;
He can [C] dress now as [Am7] well,
As [Dm7] any can [G] tell,
With a [C] good silver [G7] watch in his [C] fob.

Poor [C] Jack [C] in [C] his [C] life,
Was ne'er [Dm] paired [Dm] with [Dm] a [G7] wife,
Though [C] sometimes with [Dm7] lasses he [G] links; [G7]
He's a [C] seafaring, [Am7] sail-making, [Dm7] gamboling, [G] capering,
[C] Grog-drinking [G7] hero, Jack [C] Hinks,
[G7] Oh, oh, Jack [C] Hinks.

When inclined for to [Am7] spend,
He walks [Dm7] in with a [G] friend,
And with [C] pleasure he [Dm] sits himself [G] down;
He [C] tips off his [Am7] glass,
And he [Dm7] winks at the [G] lass,
And he [C] smiles if she [G7] happens to [C] frown.

And like a [C] ratt- [C] ling [C] true [C] blue,
When the [Dm] reckon- [Dm] ing [Dm] comes [G7] due,
On the [C] table the [Dm7] money he [G] clinks; [G7]
He's a [C] seafaring, [Am7] sail-making, [Dm7] gamboling, [G] capering,
[C] Grog-drinking [G7] hero....

Interlude: (accordian solo)

Bound home the other [Am7] fall,
We fell [Dm7] into a [G] squall,
'Round the [C] northermost [Dm] head of Cape [G] Freels;
We [C] were washed a- [Am7] way,
Without [Dm7] further de- [G] lay,
At the [C] thought, how my [G7] spirit it [C] chills.

We were [C] bashed [C] on [C] the [C] rocks,
Like a [Dm] hard- [Dm] hunt- [Dm] ed [G7] fox,
Of [C] death and des- [Dm7] truction we [G] thinks; [G7]
He's a [C] seafaring, [Am7] sail-making, [Dm7] gamboling, [G] capering,
[C] Grog-drinking [G7] hero, Jack [C] Hinks,
[G7] Oh, oh, Jack [C] Hinks.

Jack, without [Am7] fail,
Was out [Dm7] in that same [G] gale,
Having [C] drove across [Dm] Bonavist' [G] Bay;
Oh, [C] Neptune did [Am7] rale,
As he [Dm7] handed off [G] sail,
And [C] he had his two [G7] spars cut a- [C] way.

Oh, but [C] Pro- [C] vi- [C] dence [C] kind
That so [Dm] ease- [Dm] s [Dm] the [G7] wind,
And on [C] sailors so [Dm7] constantly [G] thinks; [G7]
He saved that [C] seafaring, [Am7] sail-making, [Dm7] gamboling, [G] capering,
[C] Seafaring, [Am7] sail-making, [Dm7] gamboling, [G] capering,
[C] Seafaring, [Am7] sail-making, [Dm7] gamboling, [G] capering, [C]
Grog-drinking [G7] hero.... Jack Hinks.

(In C chord position play each string one at a time slowly)
A string 3rd fret,
D string 2nd fret,
G string open,
B string 1st fret.