Johnny Lad Guitar Chords And Lyrics
The Corries. A traditional song brought back to life by Ewan McColl in the 50's.Johnny lad sheet music notes in Do Re Mi solfege included. it's known as ''A Street Song'' and that's why the words get changed depending who the singer is. The earliest reference dates it to the 1830s in the North Of Scotland. My song list of The Corries Tabs . The reference to ''The Pill'' being banned by The Pope was most likely added during the 1960s. Also recorded by The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem.
Ah [G]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [C]fur a baw bee
And then I [d]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy G]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [C]you, Johnny lad
I'll [D]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [D7]you my Johnny [G]lad
Now Samson was a michty man and he fed on fish and chips
He bauchled round the Gallowgate just pickin' up the dips
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
Now Solomon and David led very wicked lives
Winchin' every evening wi' other peoples wives
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
Every Catholic has our sympathy
They're really feeling ill
How can you love your neighbor
When the pope has banned the pill?
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
The Duke was in the parlor eating bread and honey
The Queen was in the treasury fiddling Scotland's money
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
Now Johnny was a bonnie lad until they took him in
He had his operation and now they call him Mary!
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
And then I [d]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy G]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [C]you, Johnny lad
I'll [D]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [D7]you my Johnny [G]lad
Now Samson was a michty man and he fed on fish and chips
He bauchled round the Gallowgate just pickin' up the dips
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
Now Solomon and David led very wicked lives
Winchin' every evening wi' other peoples wives
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
Every Catholic has our sympathy
They're really feeling ill
How can you love your neighbor
When the pope has banned the pill?
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
The Duke was in the parlor eating bread and honey
The Queen was in the treasury fiddling Scotland's money
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
Now Johnny was a bonnie lad until they took him in
He had his operation and now they call him Mary!
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you, Johnny lad
I'll dance the buckles off my shin wi' you my Johnny lad
this is the lively Scottish folk tune “My Johnny Lad”, which works best in a 6/8 rhythm (a bright jig or march feel). It’s meant to sound playful and danceable, with rolling triplets and a jaunty pulse. Below you’ll find both a strumming pattern and a fingerpicking tab for all verses, arranged in G major.
🎵 My Johnny Lad — in G Major
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
Tempo: ~95–100 BPM (Scottish jig tempo)
Time Signature: 6/8 (counted as “ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six”)
🎸 1. Lyrics with Chords
Ah [G]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [C]fur a baw bee
And then I [D]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [G]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [C]you, Johnny lad
I'll [D]dance the buckles off my shins wi' [D7]you my Johnny [G]lad
🎸 2. Strumming Pattern (6/8 Jig Feel)
Scottish dance rhythm — light, skipping feel:
↓ ↓↑ ↓↑
Count: 1 2 3 4 5 6
or in words:
Bass – Down-Up – Down-Up
How to play:
Beat 1: Thumb or pick the bass note (6th, 5th, or 4th string)
Beats 2–3, 5–6: Gentle down-up brush with your fingers or pick
Keep it bouncy and even — like a jig on pipes and drums.
Example for G chord:
6th string bass → down-up → down-up
🎶 3. Fingerpicking Tab (for All Verses)
This pattern rolls beautifully with 6/8 rhythm.
Use: T – I – M – T – I – M
(Thumb = bass, Index = G string, Middle = B string)
Let each note ring into the next for that flowing Celtic sound.
Verse Fingerpicking Example
G
e|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|----------------|----------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|
Ah bought a wife in Edinbourgh fur a baw bee
C
e|----------------|----------------|
B|------1---1-----|------1---1-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--2-------------|--2-------------|
A|--3-------------|--3-------------|
E|----------------|----------------|
And then I got a penny back tae buy tabaccy wi’
G C
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|------1---1-----|------1---1-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--2-------------|--2-------------|
A|----------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|----------------|----------------|
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you Johnny lad
D D7 G
e|------2---2-----|------1---1-----|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
B|----3---3---3---|----1---1---1---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
G|--------2-------|--------2-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
D|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
I'll dance the buckles off my shins wi' you my Johnny lad
💡 Performance Tips
🎵 Tempo & Feel:
Keep it lively but not rushed — like a ceilidh dance. Tap your foot on beats 1 and 4.
🎵 Bass Alternation:
To make it feel more “driving,” alternate basses:
G: 6th → 4th string
C: 5th → 4th string
D / D7: 4th → 5th string
🎵 Folk Embellishments:
Add hammer-ons on A string (0→2) for G and C chords.
On D7, add a quick pull-off on the B string (1→0).
These mimic the grace notes of a fiddle or pipe tune.
🎵 Ending Idea (slow arpeggio):
e|--3-----------|
B|----0---------|
G|------0-------|
D|--------0-----|
A|--------------|
E|--3-----------|
Let it ring — like the final strum of a ceilidh band.
🎵 My Johnny Lad — in G Major
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
Tempo: ~95–100 BPM (Scottish jig tempo)
Time Signature: 6/8 (counted as “ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six”)
🎸 1. Lyrics with Chords
Ah [G]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [C]fur a baw bee
And then I [D]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [G]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [C]you, Johnny lad
I'll [D]dance the buckles off my shins wi' [D7]you my Johnny [G]lad
🎸 2. Strumming Pattern (6/8 Jig Feel)
Scottish dance rhythm — light, skipping feel:
↓ ↓↑ ↓↑
Count: 1 2 3 4 5 6
or in words:
Bass – Down-Up – Down-Up
How to play:
Beat 1: Thumb or pick the bass note (6th, 5th, or 4th string)
Beats 2–3, 5–6: Gentle down-up brush with your fingers or pick
Keep it bouncy and even — like a jig on pipes and drums.
Example for G chord:
6th string bass → down-up → down-up
🎶 3. Fingerpicking Tab (for All Verses)
This pattern rolls beautifully with 6/8 rhythm.
Use: T – I – M – T – I – M
(Thumb = bass, Index = G string, Middle = B string)
Let each note ring into the next for that flowing Celtic sound.
Verse Fingerpicking Example
G
e|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|----------------|----------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|
Ah bought a wife in Edinbourgh fur a baw bee
C
e|----------------|----------------|
B|------1---1-----|------1---1-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--2-------------|--2-------------|
A|--3-------------|--3-------------|
E|----------------|----------------|
And then I got a penny back tae buy tabaccy wi’
G C
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|------1---1-----|------1---1-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--2-------------|--2-------------|
A|----------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|----------------|----------------|
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' you Johnny lad
D D7 G
e|------2---2-----|------1---1-----|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
B|----3---3---3---|----1---1---1---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
G|--------2-------|--------2-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
D|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
I'll dance the buckles off my shins wi' you my Johnny lad
💡 Performance Tips
🎵 Tempo & Feel:
Keep it lively but not rushed — like a ceilidh dance. Tap your foot on beats 1 and 4.
🎵 Bass Alternation:
To make it feel more “driving,” alternate basses:
G: 6th → 4th string
C: 5th → 4th string
D / D7: 4th → 5th string
🎵 Folk Embellishments:
Add hammer-ons on A string (0→2) for G and C chords.
On D7, add a quick pull-off on the B string (1→0).
These mimic the grace notes of a fiddle or pipe tune.
🎵 Ending Idea (slow arpeggio):
e|--3-----------|
B|----0---------|
G|------0-------|
D|--------0-----|
A|--------------|
E|--3-----------|
Let it ring — like the final strum of a ceilidh band.
Key of D Major
Ah [D]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [G]fur a baw bee
And then I [A]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [D]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [G]you, Johnny lad
I'll [A]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [A7]you my Johnny [D]lad
Key of A Major
Ah [A]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [D]fur a baw bee
And then I [E]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [A]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [D]you, Johnny lad
I'll [E]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [E7]you my Johnny [A]lad .
Key of C.
Ah [C]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [F]fur a baw bee
And then I [G]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [C]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [F]you, Johnny lad
I'll [G]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [G7]you my Johnny [C]lad
Ah [D]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [G]fur a baw bee
And then I [A]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [D]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [G]you, Johnny lad
I'll [A]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [A7]you my Johnny [D]lad
Key of A Major
Ah [A]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [D]fur a baw bee
And then I [E]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [A]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [D]you, Johnny lad
I'll [E]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [E7]you my Johnny [A]lad .
Key of C.
Ah [C]bought a wife in Edinbourgh [F]fur a baw bee
And then I [G]got a penny back tae buy tabaccy [C]wi'
And wi' you and wi' you and wi' [F]you, Johnny lad
I'll [G]dance the buckles off my shin wi' [G7]you my Johnny [C]lad
Johnny lad sheet music notes in Do Re Mi solfege in G Major.
The Corries singers of Johnny Lad
