G                 D
Westward from the Davis Strait,
      A                  Bm
'Tis  there was said to  lie,
     G                 D
The  sea route to the  Orient,
     Em               G
For  which so many  died,
G                 D
Seeking gold and  glory,
         A                 Bm
Leaving  weathered broken  bones, and
   G               D      A         Bm
A  long forgotten  lonely cairn of  stones.


[Chorus]
        D        A
Ah, for just one time,
        G                 Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
    G               D
To find the hand of Franklin,
         Em               G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.

        D        A
Tracing one warm line,
          G                Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G                D        A       D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.


[Verse 2]
      G                 D
Three centuries there - after,
       A            Bm
I take passage over land,
       G                  D
In the footsteps of brave Kelso,
          Em                  G
Where his "sea of flowers" be-gan.
         G             D
Watching cities rise before me,
          A               Bm
Then be - hind me sink a -gain,
     G             D
This tardiest ex - plorer,
         A                   Bm
Driving  hard, a - cross the plains.


[Chorus]
        D        A
Ah, for just one time,
        G                 Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
    G               D
To find the hand of Franklin,
         Em               G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
        D        A
Tracing one warm line,
          G                Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G                D        A       D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.



[Verse 3]
    G                      D
And through the night be - hind the wheel,
    A                Bm
The / mileage clicking west,
  G                D
I think upon Mac - kenzie,
      Em                G
David Thompson, and the rest,
    G                    D
Who cracked the mountain ramparts, and

    A               Bm
Did show a path for me,
   G                D       A      D
To race the roaring / Fraser, to the sea.


[Chorus]
        D        A
Ah, for just one time,
        G                 Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
    G               D
To find the hand of Franklin,
         Em               G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
        D        A
Tracing one warm line,
          G                Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G                D        A       D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.


[Flute Solo]

D / A / G / Bm 
G / D / Em / G
D / A / G / Bm
G / D / A / D
(same as chorus)


[Verse 4]
    G            D
How then am I so different,
         A                      Bm
From the first men through this way,
     G              D
Like them, I left a settled life,
  Em               G
I threw it all a - way,
   G                D
To seek a Northwest Passage,
       A            Bm
At the call of many men,
   G                   D         A        Bm
To find there, but the road back home a - gain.


[Chorus]
        D        A
Ah, for just one time,
        G                 Bm
I would take the Northwest Passage
    G               D
To find the hand of Franklin,
         Em               G
Reaching for the Beaufort Sea.
        D        A
Tracing one warm line,
          G                Bm
Through a land so wide and savage, and
G                D        A       D
Make a Northwest Passage, to the sea.