Gunga Din
View chords used in this chart
Capo 5.
(Spoken)
Am G
You may talk of gin and beer
C E
When you're stationed way out here
Am G Am
An' you're sent to penny fights an' Aldershot it
Am G
But when it comes to slaughter
C E
You will do your work for water
Am G Am
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.
Am G
Now in Inja's sunny clime
C E
Where I used to spend my time
Am G Am
Servin' her Majesty the Queen
Am G
Of all the black faced crew
C E
The finest man I knew
Am G Am
Was regimental bhisti, Gunga Din
Am G
The uniform he wore
C E
Was nothin' much before
Am G Am
An' rather less than half of that behind
Am G
But a piece of twisty rag
C E
An' a goatskin water bag
Am G Am
Was all the field equipment he could find
G
When a sweatin' troop train lay
Am G Am
In a sidin' through the day
C G Am
Where the heat would make you bloomin' eyebrows crawl
Am G
We shouted, "Harry byâ?
C E
Till our throats were bricky-dry
Am G Am
Then wopped him 'cause he couldn't serve us all.
Am G
He would dot an' carry one
C E
Till the longest day was done
Am G Am
An' never seemed to know the use of fear
Am G
If we charged a broke or cut
C E
You could bet your bloomin' nut
Am G Am
He'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.
G
With his mussick on his back
Am G Am
He would skip to our attack
C G Am
An' watch us till the bugles made â??Retire"
Am G
An' for all his dirty hide
C E
He was white, clear white inside
Am G Am
When he went to tend the wounded under fire.
(Spoken)
Am G C E
It was Din, Din, Din
C G Am
With the bullets kickin' dust spots on the green
C G
And when the cartridges ran out
C E
You could hear the front files shout
C G Am
Send ammunition mules, and Gunga Din!
Am G
I shan't forget the night
C E
When I fell behind the fight
Am G Am
With a bullet where my belt plate should a' been
Am G
I was chokin' mad with thirst
C E
An' the man that spied me first
Am G Am
Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din
G
He lifted up my head
Am G Am
An' he plugged me where I bled
C G Am
An' he gave me half a pint of water green
Am G
It was crawlin' and it stunk
C E
But of all the drinks I've drunk
Am G Am
I'm most grateful to the one from Gunga Din
Am G
He carried me away
C E
To where a dooli lay
Am G Am
An' a bullet came and drilled the beggar clean
Am G
He carried me inside
C E
An' just before he died
Am G Am
I hope you liked your drink said Gunga Din.
G
So I'll meet him later on
Am G Am
In the place where he as gone
C G Am
Where it's always double drill and no canteen
Am G
He'll be squattin' on the coals
C E
Givin' drinks to poor damned souls
Am G Am
I'll catch a swig in hell from Gunga Din
Am G C E
It was Din, Din, Din
C G Am
You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din
C G
Tho' I've belted you an' flayed you
C E
By the livin' God that made you
C G Am G Am C E Am G Am
You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din
How to play Gunga Din
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Am. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.