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Sung drunkenly at the top of your voice to this tune.
Terran in origin, versions of "Gareth's Privateers" can be heard all over the Inner Sphere with various factions swapping out rulers, the narrator's hometown, and who's gold was being stolen to suit their political environment. Below is the version sung in the Lyran Commonwealth, it is especially popular in the Isle of Skye region, with the more rambunctious units from that area often playing it over general comms before going into a fight.
Despite the terrible end to the Antelope's mission and the misery of the narrator, MechWarriors love this song since it seems to reflect their life best; miserable conditions, incompetent commanders, and death just around the corner. Nothing left to do but get drunk, crank it loud and sing like it's your last night alive!
Oh the year was 2978, OH I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
A letter of marque come from the Archon,
To the scummiest vessel I'd ever been on,
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
Oh, Elcid Gareth cried the town, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
For twenty brave men all MechWarriors who
Would make for him the Antelope's crew
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
The Antelope Dropship was a sickening sight, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
She'd a list to the port and and her armor in rags
And the AsTech in the brig with the staggers and the jags
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
On the Archon's birthday we went to space, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
We were 91 days to Turtle Bay
Jumping like madmen all the way
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
On the 96th day we jumped again, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
When a bloody great Drac hove in sight
With our cracked Naval ACs we made to fight
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
The Drac lay low down with gold, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
She was broad and fat and loose in the stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
Then at length we stood two hundred ks away, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
Our cracked Naval ACs made an awful din
But with one laser blast the Drac stove us in
God damn them all !
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
The Antelope shook and pitched on her side, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
Gareth was crushed like a bowl of eggs
And a smashed Mech carried off both me legs
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers.
So here I lay in my 23rd year, HOW I WISH I WAS IN THARKAD NOW!
It's been 6 years since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the lanes for Draconian gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Gareth's Privateers
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