The Girls In Old Ireland
View chords used in this chart
D
Well the Girls in Old Ireland they come to me
A
Bloody shillelagh clubs for to set me free
Bm
I said my lady’s fair won’t you listen to me
G D
And I’ll bring you to your bonnie lass.
D
In fifty-two the hunger took us by surprise
A
Water fell into my mother’s crying eyes
Bm
We wailed just like the doves in the morning cries
G D
And the crops were sick in harvest time.
D
But my mother she was wise and she raised me well
A
She told me all the things that there was to tell
Bm
Precious you sure listen cause you need me now
G D
In the years to come I won’t be there.
D
Just take a hard shillelagh in your hands so strong
A
Always hold it gently when they do you wrong
Bm
But when you hear John Henry’s solemn hammer song
G D
God give you strength like turpentine.
D
And darling you’re a peach tree in the summer sun
A
With bonnie little branches always on the run
Bm
And when cold winds shake your branches like a crooked gun
G D
I’ll be there my cherub son.
D
Like a mockingbird who laughs because there’s someone there
A
To wonder if they ever would discover where
Bm
He's hiding in the trees without a worried care
G D
Streetcars in the alleyway.
D
Well the Girls in Old Ireland they come to me
A
Let their bloody kings and clubs be their melodies
Bm
A whiskey-fog still burning in my memory
G D
Scattered all along the grass.
How to play The Girls In Old Ireland
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 D. 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.