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Version 1[Verse 1] Am G Let me sing you a song, boys, of fire and flame Dm E Of a French ammo ship, the Mont-Blanc was her name Am G F E How the brave Nova Scotia was never the same Am G Am On the morning when Halifax burned Am G 'Twas in early December 1917 Dm E She was packed to the gills with Grade A T-N-T Am G F E They were bound for the fighting in High Germany Am G Am When towards them the other ship turned [Verse 2] Am G The Norweigan ship Imo, some fault in her gears Dm E She struck Mont-Blanc's side like the mightiest of spears Am G F E And the benzol ignited the captain's worst fears Am G Am As the fire consumed bow to stern Am G The people gazed on from their safe distant rooms Dm E Watched the soot and the smoke fill the sky with their plumes Am G F E But within, the ship's cargo would spell all their dooms Am G Am How were they to know to be concerned? [Verse 3] Am G The crew rowed for shore, lest they burn or they drown Dm E They cried, "Save your souls!" as they ran through the town Am G F E But their warnings were nothing but strange foreign sounds Am G Am For the townsfolk, no French had they learned Am G One man, Patrick Coleman, in the railway's employ Dm E Sent word, "Stop the trains or they'll all be destroyed Am G F E This will be my last message, farewell to you, boys" Am G Am For a true hero's death he had earned [Verse 4] Am G An explosion, colossal, when the munitions blew Dm E E7* Devastation and debris for miles fired through Am G F E The Mont-Blanc was gone, and the town with it, too Am G Am And the waters raged up in return Am G There were heroes and angels all fated to die Dm E Over two thousand souls laid to rest by-and-by Am G F E We will always remember and lift a glass high Am G Am To the morning when Halifax burned (*) = C#7 also provides a nice discordant sound.