Lord Of The Dance Lyrics Guitar Chords And Tin Whistle Sheet Music
This song was written by Sydney Carter in 1963, the tune of the song is Simple Gifts which is much older. Recorded by Angelo Kelly And The Kelly Family in the year 2019. Many people assume this is an Irish song, well it's not. Sydney Carter was a poet and folk singer from Camden Town, London. The version of the guitar chords here are for The Dubliners live version with Jim McCann singing. Also recorded by The Corries, Foster And Allen, The Alexander Brothers,André Rieu and orchestra, and The Irish Rovers.
The link below is for the 5 string banjo tab in standard open G tuning.
The link below is for the 5 string banjo tab in standard open G tuning.
🎸 “Lord of the Dance” – Guitar ArrangementTime: 6/8 Tempo: ~90 BPM
Strumming Pattern: ↓ ↓↑ ↓↑ (Down – Down-Up – Down-Up)
Count it as “ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six” to keep the lilting rhythm steady.
🪕 Verse 1
[G] I danced in the [Em] morning when the world had begone
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
I [Am] danced in the moon and the [D] stars and the sun
e|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|--------2-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|------3---3---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|
D|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--0-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
I [G] came from heaven and I [Em] danced on the earth
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
At [Am] Bethle [D] hem I [G] had my birth
e|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--0-----------------|--------------------|--2-----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
🎶 Chorus
Dance, dance, wher [Em] ever you may be
e|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
[G] I am the lord of the [Am] dance, said [D]he
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--------------------|--0-----------------|--------------------|
E|--3-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
And I [G] lead you all, wher [Em] ever you may be
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
And I [Am] lead you [D] all in the [G] dance, said he
e|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--0-----------------|--------------------|--2-----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Fingerpicking (6/8 rolling pattern):
Use P–I–M–A–M–I per measure for a lilting jig-like feel.
Thumb plays bass (E/A/D).
I, M, A pluck G, B, E.
Keep the motion continuous and circular — like a dance rhythm.
Strumming:
Use Down – Down-Up – Down-Up per measure for rhythm playing.
Keep your wrist loose and accent beats 1 and 4.
Feel:
Light, flowing, and joyful — let each chord ring naturally between strokes.
Ending:
Finish with a slow arpeggiated G chord, letting it ring fully.
Strumming Pattern: ↓ ↓↑ ↓↑ (Down – Down-Up – Down-Up)
Count it as “ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six” to keep the lilting rhythm steady.
🪕 Verse 1
[G] I danced in the [Em] morning when the world had begone
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
I [Am] danced in the moon and the [D] stars and the sun
e|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|--------2-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|------3---3---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|
D|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--0-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
I [G] came from heaven and I [Em] danced on the earth
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
At [Am] Bethle [D] hem I [G] had my birth
e|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--0-----------------|--------------------|--2-----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
🎶 Chorus
Dance, dance, wher [Em] ever you may be
e|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
[G] I am the lord of the [Am] dance, said [D]he
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--------------------|--0-----------------|--------------------|
E|--3-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
And I [G] lead you all, wher [Em] ever you may be
e|--------3-----------|--------0-----------|--------0-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
And I [Am] lead you [D] all in the [G] dance, said he
e|--------0-----------|--------2-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--0-----------------|--------------------|--2-----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Fingerpicking (6/8 rolling pattern):
Use P–I–M–A–M–I per measure for a lilting jig-like feel.
Thumb plays bass (E/A/D).
I, M, A pluck G, B, E.
Keep the motion continuous and circular — like a dance rhythm.
Strumming:
Use Down – Down-Up – Down-Up per measure for rhythm playing.
Keep your wrist loose and accent beats 1 and 4.
Feel:
Light, flowing, and joyful — let each chord ring naturally between strokes.
Ending:
Finish with a slow arpeggiated G chord, letting it ring fully.
Below is the list of sheet music and tin whistle songs that are in my ebooks. This is the largest collection of tin whistle songs ever put together.[over 800 songs ] Including folk, pop and trad tunes plus German And French songs along with Christmas Carols.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50 . Lord of the dance tin whistle sheet music included.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50 . Lord of the dance tin whistle sheet music included.
