Janey Mac I'm Nearly Forty lyrics and chords
[D]Well, I've been singing most my[G] lifetime
Of Rock[D]all, Strong Men and Botany[A] Bay;
Singing[D] songs of love and hope and[G] freedom
While[A] time has slowly slipped a[D]way.
Have you noticed the policemen getting younger?
And the busmen, they're getting younger too.
While all my friends are getting older,
I have stayed the same, you know, it's true.
CHORUS: And, Janie Mac, I'm nearly forty.
I think my hair is turning grey.
I'll be on the pension very shortly,
And how I long for yesterday!
We're so long together it's a record.
We should be in the Guinness Book of Fame.
For twenty-five long years we've been together,
And just for spite, we'll do the same again.
But there's silver threads in Tom's whiskers,
And Derek with the beard, he's getting bald.
While though he's getting kind of grumpy,
While I, I'm not just getting old.
So all you knockers and begrudgers
You will admit we have that touch of class.
If not, we'll send you our new record
And you can stick it up your....
Of Rock[D]all, Strong Men and Botany[A] Bay;
Singing[D] songs of love and hope and[G] freedom
While[A] time has slowly slipped a[D]way.
Have you noticed the policemen getting younger?
And the busmen, they're getting younger too.
While all my friends are getting older,
I have stayed the same, you know, it's true.
CHORUS: And, Janie Mac, I'm nearly forty.
I think my hair is turning grey.
I'll be on the pension very shortly,
And how I long for yesterday!
We're so long together it's a record.
We should be in the Guinness Book of Fame.
For twenty-five long years we've been together,
And just for spite, we'll do the same again.
But there's silver threads in Tom's whiskers,
And Derek with the beard, he's getting bald.
While though he's getting kind of grumpy,
While I, I'm not just getting old.
So all you knockers and begrudgers
You will admit we have that touch of class.
If not, we'll send you our new record
And you can stick it up your....
[D]Well, I've been singing most my [G]lifetime
Of Rock[D]all, Strong Men and Botany [A]Bay;
Singing [D]songs of love and hope and [G]freedom
While [A]time has slowly slipped a[D]way.
Have you [D]noticed the policemen getting [G]younger?
And the [D]busmen, they're getting younger [A]too.
While all my [D]friends are getting [G]older,
I have [A]stayed the same, you know it's [D]true.
And, [D]Janie Mac, I'm nearly [G]forty.
I think my [D]hair is turning [A]grey.
I'll be [D]on the pension very [G]shortly,
And how I [A]long for yester[D]day!
We're so [D]long together it's a [G]record.
We should be [D]in the Guinness Book of [A]Fame.
For [D]twenty-five long years we've been to[G]gether,
And just for [A]spite, we'll do the same a[D]gain.
But there's [D]silver threads in Tom's [G]whiskers,
And [D]Derek with the beard, he's getting [A]bald.
While [D]though he's getting kind of [G]grumpy,
While I, I'm [A]not just getting [D]old.
So all you [D]knockers and be[G]grudgers
You will ad[D]mit we have that touch of [A]class.
If [D]not, we'll send you our new [G]record
And you can [A]stick it up your.... [D]
🎸 2. Strumming Pattern
This song is mid-tempo and cheerful — a classic Irish folk 4/4 pattern works beautifully.
Pattern (Verse & Chorus):
🎵 D – D U – U D U
Tips:
Emphasize beats 2 and 4 slightly for that gentle folk bounce.
Keep the wrist loose — think of a lilting pub singalong, not a march.
For a softer verse, try D – D – D U and open up in the chorus.
🎶 3. Fingerpicking Tab for the First Verse
Use standard tuning (EADGBE), thumb (p) for bass, index (i), and middle (m) for treble.
Tempo: ~90 bpm, gentle and steady.
🎵 First Verse Fingerpicking Tab
mathematica
Copy code
[D]Well, I've been singing most my [G]lifetime
Of Rock[D]all, Strong Men and Botany [A]Bay;
Singing [D]songs of love and hope and [G]freedom
While [A]time has slowly slipped a[D]way.
D
e|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|
B|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
G|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
D|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|
G
e|-------3-------3-|-------3-------3-|
B|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
A
e|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
B|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
G|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
D|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|
A|0-------0-------0|0-------0-------0|
E|-----------------|-----------------|
Continue this Travis-picking style for all verses:
Thumb alternates between root and fifth (e.g. D–A, G–D, A–E).
Keep treble notes ringing to complement vocals.
Works great as a solo arrangement or with light singing.
Of Rock[D]all, Strong Men and Botany [A]Bay;
Singing [D]songs of love and hope and [G]freedom
While [A]time has slowly slipped a[D]way.
Have you [D]noticed the policemen getting [G]younger?
And the [D]busmen, they're getting younger [A]too.
While all my [D]friends are getting [G]older,
I have [A]stayed the same, you know it's [D]true.
And, [D]Janie Mac, I'm nearly [G]forty.
I think my [D]hair is turning [A]grey.
I'll be [D]on the pension very [G]shortly,
And how I [A]long for yester[D]day!
We're so [D]long together it's a [G]record.
We should be [D]in the Guinness Book of [A]Fame.
For [D]twenty-five long years we've been to[G]gether,
And just for [A]spite, we'll do the same a[D]gain.
But there's [D]silver threads in Tom's [G]whiskers,
And [D]Derek with the beard, he's getting [A]bald.
While [D]though he's getting kind of [G]grumpy,
While I, I'm [A]not just getting [D]old.
So all you [D]knockers and be[G]grudgers
You will ad[D]mit we have that touch of [A]class.
If [D]not, we'll send you our new [G]record
And you can [A]stick it up your.... [D]
🎸 2. Strumming Pattern
This song is mid-tempo and cheerful — a classic Irish folk 4/4 pattern works beautifully.
Pattern (Verse & Chorus):
🎵 D – D U – U D U
Tips:
Emphasize beats 2 and 4 slightly for that gentle folk bounce.
Keep the wrist loose — think of a lilting pub singalong, not a march.
For a softer verse, try D – D – D U and open up in the chorus.
🎶 3. Fingerpicking Tab for the First Verse
Use standard tuning (EADGBE), thumb (p) for bass, index (i), and middle (m) for treble.
Tempo: ~90 bpm, gentle and steady.
🎵 First Verse Fingerpicking Tab
mathematica
Copy code
[D]Well, I've been singing most my [G]lifetime
Of Rock[D]all, Strong Men and Botany [A]Bay;
Singing [D]songs of love and hope and [G]freedom
While [A]time has slowly slipped a[D]way.
D
e|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|
B|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
G|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
D|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|
G
e|-------3-------3-|-------3-------3-|
B|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
A
e|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|
B|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
G|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
D|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|
A|0-------0-------0|0-------0-------0|
E|-----------------|-----------------|
Continue this Travis-picking style for all verses:
Thumb alternates between root and fifth (e.g. D–A, G–D, A–E).
Keep treble notes ringing to complement vocals.
Works great as a solo arrangement or with light singing.
Here's the guitar chords for the key of C
[C] Well, I've been singing most my [F] lifetime
Of Rock [C] all, Strong Men and Botany [G] Bay;
Singing [C] songs of love and hope and [F] freedom
While [G] time has slowly slipped a [C] way.
[C] Well, I've been singing most my [F] lifetime
Of Rock [C] all, Strong Men and Botany [G] Bay;
Singing [C] songs of love and hope and [F] freedom
While [G] time has slowly slipped a [C] way.
The tin whistle sheet music is in the Wolfe Tones Ebook Of Songs
