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Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

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[Intro]
Em   C   Dx2
Em G D Em D
[Verse 1]
EmHear the rime of the ancient mariner
See his eye as he stops one of Dthree
EmMesmerises one of the wedding guests
CStay here and listen to the nightmares Dof the Emsea
And the Cmusic plays on, as the bride passes by
DCaught by his spell and the mariner tells his EmtaleD  
[Verse 2]
EmDriven south to the land of the snow and ice
To a place where nobody's Dbeen
EmThrough the snow fog flies on the albatross
CHailed in God's name, hoping good Dluck it brinEmgs
And the Cship sails on, back to the north
DThrough the fog and ice and the albatross follows EmonD  
[Interlude 1]
Em   G/B   Em   Dx2
Em D
C   D   C   Dx2
Em D
[Verse 2]
EmThe mariner kills the bird of good oDmen
EmHis shipmates cry against what he's doneD  
EmBut when the fog clears, they justify himD  
EmAnd make themselves a part of the crime
Sailing Con and on and noDrth across the seaEm  D  Em  
Sailing Con and on and noDrth 'til all is caEmlmD  Em  
[Verse 4]
EmThe albatross begins with its vengeanceD  
EmA terrible curse, a thirst has begunD  
EmHis shipmates blame bad luck on the marinerD  
EmAbout his neck, the dead bird is hung
And the Ccurse goes on and Don and on at seaEm  D  Em  
And the Ccurse goes on and Don for them and meEm  D  Em  
[Verse 5]
Em"Day after day, day after day
We stuck nor breath nor motionD  
As Emidle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
DWater, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink
EmWater, water everywhere nor any drop to drink"
Em G D Em
Em G D
[Verse 6]
"EmThere", calls the mariner, "EmThere comes a ship over the Emline"
"But Emhow can she sail with no Emwind in her sails and no Emtide?"
CSee... onward she comes
Onward she Amnears, out of the sun
CSee, she has no crew
She has Amno life, wait but there's two
[Verse 7]
EmDeath and she life in death
EmThey throw their dice for the Emcrew
EmShe wins the mariner Emand he belongs to her Emnow
CThen, crew one by one
They drop down Amdead, two hundred men
CShe, she, life in death
She lets him Amlive, her chosen one
[Interlude 2]
F#m   Am   Em   F   Gx2
Em   D   Em   C   Ebx3
Em D Em
Am E F# Amaj7/C#
[Bridge]
A+ G+ A+ F#+
A+ G+
A+One after one by the star dogged moon
Too quick for groan or sigh
F#+Each turned his face with a ghastly pang
And cursed me with his eye
A+Four times fifty living men
And I heard nor sigh nor groan
With heavy thumpG+, a lifeless lump
They dropped down one by one
A+ F#+
Dm/A   Cm/G   Dm/A   Bm/F#x2
[Interlude 3]
D   Dsus4   D5x2
[Verse 8]
The Dcurse it lives Dsus4on in their D5eyes
The Dmariner Dsus4he wished he'd D5die
ADsus2long with the Dmsea creatures
Dsus2But they lived Dmon, so did D5he
DAnd by the Dsus4light of the D5moon
He Dprays for their Dsus4beauty not D5doom
Dsus2With heart he Dmblesses them
Dsus2God's creatures Dmall of them D5too
[Verse 9]
Dm7Then the Dmspell Dm7starts to D5break
The Dm7albatross Dmfalls Dm7from his D5neck
Dm7Sinks down like Dmlead Dm7into the D5sea
Dm7Then down in Dmfalls Dm7comes the Amrain
[Interlude 4]
Am   F   G   Am   Gx2
[Guitar Solo 1]
Am   F   G   Am   Gx4
[Guitar Solo 2]
Em   C   D   Em   Dx4
[Interlude 5]
Em   C   D   Em   Dx4
Em   C   D   Em   Dx2
E Em E Em E
[Verse 10]
Em   C   Dx2
EmHear the groans of the long dead seamen
See them stir and they start to Drise
EmBodies lifted by good spirits
CNone of them speak and they're lifeless Din their Emeyes
And Crevenge is still sought, penance starts again
DCast into a trance and the nightmare carries EmonD  
EmNow the curse is finally lifted
And the mariner sights his Dhome
EmSpirits go from the long dead bodies
CForm their own light and the mariner's Dleft aEmlone
[Interlude 6]
Em   G/B   Em   Dx2
Em D
[Verse 11]
EmAnd then a boat came sailing towards himD  
EmIt was a joy he could not believeD  
EmThe pilot's boat, his son and the hermitD  
EmPenance of life will fall onto him
And the Cship sinks like Dlead into the Emsea
And the Chermit shrieves the Dmariner of his Emsins
[Verse 12]
EmThe mariner's bound to tell of his storyD  
EmTo tell this tale wherever he goesD  
EmTo teach God's word by his own exampleD  
EmThat we must love all things that God made
And the Cwedding guest's a Dsad and wiser Emman
And the Ctale goes on and Don and on and Emon
All chords in this song (23)

The story behind the song

This song tells the epic, tragic tale of a sailor cursed after killing an albatross, detailing his crew's suffering and his own profound guilt and penance. It's a journey through isolation, supernatural judgment, and the heavy burden of a single, fateful act. Playing it feels like recounting a vast, ancient story, full of foreboding and the weight of consequence.

AI-written from these sources:Iron Maiden — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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About Rime Of The Ancient Mariner Chords by Iron Maiden

Learn how to play Rime Of The Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner chords”, “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner guitar chords”, or “Iron Maiden Rime Of The Ancient Mariner 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 Rime Of The Ancient Mariner chords and for experienced players who want accurate Rime Of The Ancient Mariner lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Em, C, D, G, G/B, A.

FAQ — Rime Of The Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden

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What key is "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" in?

The chords for "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" show the original chord names (including Em, C, D, G, G/B, A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.