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The Irish Rover

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[Verse 1]
    On the GFourth of July, eighteen hundred and sCix
    We set Gsail from the sweet Cobh of DCork
    We were Gsailing away with a cargo of brCicks
    For the GGrand City DHall in New GYork
    'Twas a Gwonderful craft
    She was Drigged fore and aft
    And Goh, how the wild wind Ddrove her
    She stood Gseveral blasts
    She had tEmwenty seven mCasts
    And they Gcalled her The Irish RDovGer
[Verse 2]
    We had Gone million bags of the best Sligo rCags
    We had Gtwo million barrels of sDtone
    We had Gthree million sides of old blind horses hCides
    We had Gfour million Dbarrels of Gbones
    We had Gfive million hogs
    And sDix million dogs
    GSeven million barrels of Dporter
    We had Geight million bails of old Emnanny-goats' tCails
    In the Ghold of the Irish RDovGer
[Verse 3]
    There wGas awl Mickey Coote
    Who played hard on his flCute
    When the lGadies lined up for a sDet
    He was Gtootin' with skill
    For each spCarkling quadrille
    GThough the dancers were flDuther'd and bGet
    With Ghis smart witty talk
    He was coDck of the walk
    And he roGlled the dames under and oDver
    They all Gknew at a glance
    When he tEmook up his stCance
    That he saGiled in The Irish RDovGer
[Verse 4]
    There Gwas Barney McGee
    From the banks of the LCee
    There was HGogan from County TyrDone
    There was JohGnny McGirr
    Who was scared stiff of wCork
    And a maGn from WestmDeath called MaGlone
    TherGe was Slugger O'Toole
    Who was drDunk as a rule
    And FightGing Bill Treacy from DDover
    And your Gman, Mick MacCann
    From the Embanks of the BCann
    Was the sGkipper of the Irish RDovGer
[Verse 5]
    For a sGailor it's always a bother in lCife
    It's so Glonesome by night and dDay
    That he Glongs for the shore
    And a charming young whCore
    Who will Gmelt all his trDoubles awaGy
    Oh, the Gnoise and the rout
    Swillin' pDoitin and stout
    For hGim soon the torment's oDver
    Of the loGve of a maid
    He is nEmever afrCaid
    An old sGalt from the Irish RDovGer
[Verse 6]
    We had Gsailed seven years
    When the measles broke oCut
    And the Gship lost its way in the fDog
    And thaGt whale of a crew
    Was redCuced down to two
    Just mysGelf and the CaptDain's old dGog
    Then the sGhip struck a rock
    Oh LDord what a shock
    The bGulkhead was turned right Dover
    Turned niGne times around
    And the poEmor old dog was drCowned
    I'm the laGst of The Irish RDovGer

All chords in this song (4)

The story behind the song

"The Irish Rover" by The Pogues sails listeners into a rollicking tale of adventure on the high seas. It's a classic folk song about an impossibly grand ship and its equally colorful crew, embarking on a journey filled with humorous mishaps and ultimately, a comical demise. Playing this song means stepping into a lively narrative, full of boisterous charm and a touch of the absurd. The Pogues, known for blending traditional Irish music with punk rock, bring their signature energetic spirit to this tall tale, making it a spirited and fun piece to play.

AI-written from these sources:The Pogues — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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The Irish Rover

by The Pogues

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Verse 1]

G C

On the Fourth of July, eighteen hundred and six

G D

We set sail from the sweet Cobh of Cork

G C

We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks

G D G

For the Grand City Hall in New York

'Twas a wonderful craft

She was rigged fore and aft

G D

And oh, how the wild wind drove her

She stood several blasts

Em C

She had twenty seven masts

G D G

And they called her The Irish Rover

[Verse 2]

G C

We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags

G D

We had two million barrels of stone

G C

We had three million sides of old blind horses hides

G D G

We had four million barrels of bones

We had five million hogs

And six million dogs

G D

Seven million barrels of porter

G Em C

We had eight million bails of old nanny-goats' tails

G D G

In the hold of the Irish Rover

[Verse 3]

There was awl Mickey Coote

Who played hard on his flute

G D

When the ladies lined up for a set

He was tootin' with skill

For each sparkling quadrille

G D G

Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet

With his smart witty talk

He was cock of the walk

G D

And he rolled the dames under and over

They all knew at a glance

Em C

When he took up his stance

G D G

That he sailed in The Irish Rover

[Verse 4]

There was Barney McGee

From the banks of the Lee

G D

There was Hogan from County Tyrone

There was Johnny McGirr

Who was scared stiff of work

G D G

And a man from Westmeath called Malone

There was Slugger O'Toole

Who was drunk as a rule

G D

And Fighting Bill Treacy from Dover

And your man, Mick MacCann

Em C

From the banks of the Bann

G D G

Was the skipper of the Irish Rover

[Verse 5]

G C

For a sailor it's always a bother in life

G D

It's so lonesome by night and day

That he longs for the shore

And a charming young whore

G D G

Who will melt all his troubles away

Oh, the noise and the rout

Swillin' poitin and stout

G D

For him soon the torment's over

Of the love of a maid

Em C

He is never afraid

G D G

An old salt from the Irish Rover

[Verse 6]

We had sailed seven years

When the measles broke out

G D

And the ship lost its way in the fog

And that whale of a crew

Was reduced down to two

G D G

Just myself and the Captain's old dog

Then the ship struck a rock

Oh Lord what a shock

G D

The bulkhead was turned right over

Turned nine times around

Em C

And the poor old dog was drowned

G D G

I'm the last of The Irish Rover

About The Irish Rover Chords by The Pogues

Learn how to play The Irish Rover by The Pogues with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Irish Rover chords”, “The Irish Rover guitar chords”, or “The Pogues The Irish Rover chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Irish Rover chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Irish Rover lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, C, D, Em.

FAQ — The Irish Rover by The Pogues

How do I play "The Irish Rover" by The Pogues on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Irish Rover" by The Pogues on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "The Irish Rover" by The Pogues free?

Yes. The chords for "The Irish Rover" by The Pogues are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Irish Rover" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "The Irish Rover" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Irish Rover"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Irish Rover" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Irish Rover" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Irish Rover" by The Pogues with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by The Pogues below.

What key is "The Irish Rover" in?

The chords for "The Irish Rover" show the original chord names (including G, C, D, Em). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.