Joe McDonnell Lyrics Guitar Chords
The Tin Whistle Sheet Music Notes are included. The Wolfe Tones, Written By Brian Warfield, I think this is one of Brian's best pieces of work ever.It's also Tommy Byrne's favorite song to sing on stage.-A Classic. On Tuesday 5 May 1981 Bobby Sands died on the hunger strike after 66 days, Joe McDonnell took his place on Friday 8th May 1981 after 61 days, Joe McDonnell died. The mandolin, banjo tab is included along with the letter notes for recorder and flute.Also recorded by Eire Og, The Davitts, The Irish Brigade, and Athenrye. The youtube video is by Irish ballad group The Wolfe Tones.
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Oh[G] me name is Joe McDonnell from[C] Belfast town I [G]came,
That[C] city I will[G] never see a[D]gain For[G] in the town of Belfast I spent [C]many happy[G] days I[C] love that town in[G] all so many[D] ways For it's[Am] there I[C] spent my child[Am]hood and found for[C] me a[G] wife I then[Am] set[C] out to[G] make for me a[D] life But[G] all my young ambitions met with[C] bitterness and [G]hate I soon[C] found myself in[G]side a prison[D] gate [Chorus] And you[Am] dare to[C] call me a terror[Am]ist while you look [C]down your[G] gun When I[Am] think of[C] all theG] things that you have[D] done You have[G] plundered many nations divided many lands You had[C] terrorised my[Am] people you ruled[C] with an iron[D] hand And you[G] brought this reign of[C] terror to my[D] land [2] Through those many months internment in the maidstone and the maze I thought about my land throught those days Why my country was divided why I was now in jail Imprisoned without crime or without trial And though I love my country I am not a bitter man I've seen cruelty and injustice at first hand So then one faithful morning I shook bold freedom's hand For right or wrong I'D tried to free my land [Repeat chorus] Then one cold october morning trapped in a lion's den I found myself in prison once again I was committed to the H-Blocks for 14 years or more On the blanket the conditions they were poor Then a hunger strike we did commence for the dignity of man But it seemed to me that no one gave a damm But now I am a saddened man I watched my comrades die If only people cared or wondered why [Repeat chorus] May God shine on you Bobby Sands for the courage you have shown May your glory and your fame be widely known And Francis Hughes and Ray McCreesh who died unselfishly And Patsy O Hara and the next in line ios me And those who lie behind me may your courage be the same And I pray to God my life is not in vain Ah but sad and bitter was the year of 1981 For everything I've lost and nothing's won Brian wrote this song on the morning Joe McDonnell died.
''I had just heard it on the news that another hunger striker had died and I was shocked, saddened and angry. How could people let this happen ?. They weren't asking for much, there should have been a solution. They asked for the right to wear their own clothes, to accociate with other prisoners in the same position as they wanted the right to the same polictical status of polictal prisoners. But the obstinate stubborness of Thatcher and her government refused to give an inch. Then one by one they died unnecessarily the world watching and no one crying halt or stop. In anger I put pen to paper and continued writing for hours until the song was finished. I always feel that Joe McDonnell spoke through me on that morning, the story just flowed. I then took my guitar and composed the melody, as I did the tears ran down my face. I then put the words and melody together and when I finished I broke down and cried. There was 10 young men who died on hunger strike that year. Joe McDonnell aged 30 was the fifth man to die. Those before him were Martin Hurson 24, Kevin Lynch 25, Thomas McElwee 23 and Micky Devine 27. All brave men who deserve their place in the history of our country. |
Here are the guitar chords as played by Tommy Byrne of The Wolfe Tones.
Oh my [D]name is Joe McDonnell From [G]Belfast town I [D]came That [G]city I will [D]never see a[A]gain For [D]in the town of Belfast I spent [G]many happy [D]days And I [G]loved that town in [D]oh so many [A]ways For it's [Em]there I [G]spent my childhood And [Em]found for [G]me a [D]wife I [G]then set out to [D]make for her a [A]life Oh but [D]all my young ambition Met with [G]bitterness and [D]hate I soon [G]found myself in[D]side a prison [A]gate Chorus And you [Em]dare to [G]call me a terrorist While you look down your [D]gun When I [Em]think of [G]all the [D]deeds that you have [A]done - You have [D]plundered many nations Divided many lands You have [G]terrorized their people You ruled with an iron [A]hand And you [D]brought this reign of terror to my [A]land Through the [D]many months internment In the [G]Maidstone and the [D]Maze I [G]thought about my [D]land throughout those [A]days Why my [D]country was divided Why [G]I was now in [D]jail Im[G]prisoned without [D]crime or without [A]trial And [Em]though I [G]love my country I am [Em]not a [G]bitter [D]man I've seen [G]cruelty and in[D]justice at first [A]hand so [D]then one faithful morning I [G]shook bold freedom's [D]hand For [G]right or wrong I [D]tried to free my [A]land. Repeat chorus Then one [D]cold October's morning I was[G]trapped in the lion's [D]den And I [G]found myself in [D]prison once a[A]gain I was [D]committed to the H-Blocks For [G]fourteen years or [D]more On the [G]"blanket" the con[D]ditions they were [A]poor Then a [Em]hunger [G]strike we did commence For the [Em]digni[G]ty of [D]man But it [G]seemed to me that [D]no one gave a [A]damn but [D]now I am a saddened man I've [G]watched my comrades [D]die If [G]only people [D]cared or wondered [A]why Repeat chorus may [D]God shine on you, Bobby Sands For the [G]courage you have [D]shown May your [G]glory and your [D]fame be widely [A]known And [D]Francis Hughes and Ray McCreesh Who [G]died unselfish[D]ly And [G]Patsy O'Hara, and the [D]next in line is [A]me And [Em]those who [G]lie behind me May your [Em]courage [G]be the [D]same And I [G]pray to god my [D]life was not in [A]vain Ah but [D]sad and bitter was the year of [G]198[D]1 For [G]every thing I've [D]lost and nothing's [A]won |
Joe Mc Donnell Abc music notes for Mandolin/Banjo Whistle (Key = G) The video of the tin whistle is played by Jean-Baptiste Meynard
(Verse)
F#EDDDEF#A F#ABABD'F# ABAGF#AGF#GF#E
F#EDDDEF#A F#ABABD'F# ABAGF#AGF#GF#E
(Bridge)
AABE'D'BAB E'E'E'D'BD' ABE'D'BAD'F#GF#E
F#EDDDEF#A F#ABABD'F# ABAGF#AGF#GF#E
(Chorus)
AABE'D'BAB E'E'E'D'BD' ABE'D'BAD'F#GF#E
DEF#F#EDF#F# F#F#F#EDF# ABBAGBB BAGBABD'E'
D'E'F'#E'D'BAD'F#GF#E
Mandolin tab
//2 //0 /5 /5 /5 //0 //2 //5 //2 //5 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 //2
//5 ///0 //5 //3 //2 //5 //3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
//2 //0 /5 /5 /5 //0 //2 //5 //2 //5 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 //2
//5 ///0 //5 //3 //2 //5 //3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///5 ///5 ///3 ///0 ///3
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
//2 //0 /5 /5 /5 //0 //2 //5 //2 //5 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 //2
//5 ///0 //5 //3 //2 //5 //3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
[chorus]
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///5 ///5 ///3 ///0 ///3
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
/5 //0 //2 //2 //0 /5 //2 //2 /5 //0 //2 //2 //0 /5 //2
//5 ///0 ///0 //5 //3 ///0>///0 ///0 //5 //3 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 ///5
///3 ///5 ///7 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
Here's my version of the tin whistle notes. If you're playing this on the recorder, banjo mandolin or other lead instrument then remember that all the F notes are sharp [#] and that all the notes in CAPITAL letters are the low notes up as far as B and the small letters are the high notes past the B.
F E D D D E F A A B A B d F
O' my name is Joe McDonnell From Belfast town I came
A B A G F A G F F E
That city I will never see again
FE D D D E F A F A B A B d F
For in that town of Belfast I spent many happy days
A B A G F A G F F E
I love that town in oh so many ways.
A A B e d B A B e e e d B d
For it's there I spent my childhood and found for me a wife
A B e d B A d F F E
I then set out to make for her a life.
F E D D D E F A A A B A B d F
Ah But all my young ambitions met with bitterness and hate
A A B A G F A G F F E
I soon found myself inside a prison gate.
CHORUS
A A B e d B B A A B
And you dare to call me a terrorist
e e e d B d
While you look down your gun
A A B e d B A d F F E
When I think of all the deeds that you have done,
D E F F E D F F F F F E D F
You have plundered many nations Divided many lands
A A B B A G B B A G B A B d e
You have terrorized their people You ruled with an iron hand.
d e f e d B A d F F E
And you brought this reign of terror to my land.
(Verse)
F#EDDDEF#A F#ABABD'F# ABAGF#AGF#GF#E
F#EDDDEF#A F#ABABD'F# ABAGF#AGF#GF#E
(Bridge)
AABE'D'BAB E'E'E'D'BD' ABE'D'BAD'F#GF#E
F#EDDDEF#A F#ABABD'F# ABAGF#AGF#GF#E
(Chorus)
AABE'D'BAB E'E'E'D'BD' ABE'D'BAD'F#GF#E
DEF#F#EDF#F# F#F#F#EDF# ABBAGBB BAGBABD'E'
D'E'F'#E'D'BAD'F#GF#E
Mandolin tab
//2 //0 /5 /5 /5 //0 //2 //5 //2 //5 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 //2
//5 ///0 //5 //3 //2 //5 //3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
//2 //0 /5 /5 /5 //0 //2 //5 //2 //5 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 //2
//5 ///0 //5 //3 //2 //5 //3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///5 ///5 ///3 ///0 ///3
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
//2 //0 /5 /5 /5 //0 //2 //5 //2 //5 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 //2
//5 ///0 //5 //3 //2 //5 //3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
[chorus]
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///5 ///5 ///3 ///0 ///3
///0 //5 ///0 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
/5 //0 //2 //2 //0 /5 //2 //2 /5 //0 //2 //2 //0 /5 //2
//5 ///0 ///0 //5 //3 ///0>///0 ///0 //5 //3 ///0 //5 ///0 ///3 ///5
///3 ///5 ///7 ///5 ///3 ///0 //5 ///3 //2 //3 //2 //2 //0
Here's my version of the tin whistle notes. If you're playing this on the recorder, banjo mandolin or other lead instrument then remember that all the F notes are sharp [#] and that all the notes in CAPITAL letters are the low notes up as far as B and the small letters are the high notes past the B.
F E D D D E F A A B A B d F
O' my name is Joe McDonnell From Belfast town I came
A B A G F A G F F E
That city I will never see again
FE D D D E F A F A B A B d F
For in that town of Belfast I spent many happy days
A B A G F A G F F E
I love that town in oh so many ways.
A A B e d B A B e e e d B d
For it's there I spent my childhood and found for me a wife
A B e d B A d F F E
I then set out to make for her a life.
F E D D D E F A A A B A B d F
Ah But all my young ambitions met with bitterness and hate
A A B A G F A G F F E
I soon found myself inside a prison gate.
CHORUS
A A B e d B B A A B
And you dare to call me a terrorist
e e e d B d
While you look down your gun
A A B e d B A d F F E
When I think of all the deeds that you have done,
D E F F E D F F F F F E D F
You have plundered many nations Divided many lands
A A B B A G B B A G B A B d e
You have terrorized their people You ruled with an iron hand.
d e f e d B A d F F E
And you brought this reign of terror to my land.
