Software Privateer
Words by Cynthia McQuillin and Jane A. Robinson © 1991, music by Cynthia McQuillin


      Dm       C       Dm                            C         Dm
Well, I worked down in techie-town where the program fac'tries run,
      C                                 Dm
And I spent my days in programming from sun to bloody sun,
             C      Dm                             C
But I barely made a penny from the programs I set down,
         Dm      C    Dm       C      F          C     Dm
For the comp'ny had a contract sayin' they owned every one.

Chorus:
	        Dm                       C            Dm
	So it's password, key, bring the system up on line;
	                                  A
	Post the file on networks far and near.
	         Dm                      C              Dm
	And it's Hey!  Ho!  Hee!  for advanced technology...
	         C           F           C  Dm
	Sing the song of the Software Privateer!


Now I know well the hardware and the system and the code,
And I know well the buffer and how long it takes to load.
So I've copied all the programs off the mainframe, one by one,
And now they're on the hard disk in my own machine at home.
	Chorus

So now I have my programs that the comp'ny tried to own,
And I sell this rare commodity at swap meets far from home.
Well, it's good to have this cushion, 'cause I lost the job I had—
I'm bein' laid off Friday, since our sales have been so bad!
	Chorus

Well, the company went under, and I guess it serves them right;
They should have paid us better and not made us work at night,
But our programs will survive it, and they'll flourish through the years,
'Cause all two hundred programmers were Software Privateers!
	Chorus