Ordinary Man Lyrics Chords And Sheet Music

Ordinary Man Lyrics And Chords

Christy Moore. Written by Ron Hanes. alternative chords in 'Dm, so Am=Dm, Dm=Gm, G=C, C=F. The sheet music is included. There's a raft of Christy Moore Lyrics And Chords here on the site, most are handy enough to play along with .

[Am]I'm an ordi[G]nary man, [F]nothing special[Am] nothing grand
I've[F] had to[G] work for every[Am]thing I own
I never asked[G] for a lot, I was[F] happy with[Am] what I'd got
E[F]nough to[G] keep my family[Am] and my home
Now they say that [F]times are [G]hard and[C] they've handed me my cards
They[F] say there's not the[E] work to go around
And[Am] when the[G] whistle[F] blows, the gates[Am] will finally close
To[F]night they're[G] going to shut this[Am] factory down
Then they'll[F] tear[G] it [Am]d-o-w-n

I never missed a day nor went on strike for better pay
For twenty years I served the best I could
Now with a handshake and a check it seems so easy to forget
Loyalty through the bad times and through good
The owner says he's sad to see that things have got so bad
But the captains of industry won't let him lose
He still drives a car and smokes his cigar
And still he takes his family on a cruise, he'll never lose

Well it seems to me such a cruel irony
He's richer now than ever he was before
Now my check is spent and I can't afford the rent
There's one law for the rich, one for the poor
Every day I've tried to salvage some of my pride
To find some work so I can pay my way
Oh but everywhere I go, the answer's always no
There's no work for anyone here today, no work today

And so condemned I stand, just an ordinary man
Like thousands beside me in the queue
I watch my darling wife trying to make the best of life
And Lord knows what the kids are going to do
Now that we are faced with this human waste
A generation cast aside
And as long as I live, I never will forgive
You've stripped me of my dignity and pride, you've stripped me bare
You've stripped me bare, you've stripped me bare

Here’ the full song with chords added to all verses in a consistent progression matching the first verse.
(Chords are kept natural to the folk style of “Ordinary Man” by Christy Moore.)

Ordinary Man
(Christy Moore)

[Am]I'm an ordi[G]nary man, [F]nothing special[Am] nothing grand
I've [F]had to [G]work for every[Am]thing I own
I never asked [G]for a lot, I was [F]happy with [Am]what I'd got
E[F]nough to [G]keep my family [Am]and my home
Now they say that [F]times are [G]hard and [C]they've handed me my cards
They [F]say there's not the [E]work to go around
And [Am]when the [G]whistle [F]blows, the gates [Am]will finally close
To [F]night they're [G]going to shut this [Am]factory down
Then they'll [F]tear [G]it [Am]down

Verse 2

[Am]I never missed a [G]day nor went on [F]strike for better [Am]pay
For [F]twenty [G]years I served the [Am]best I could
Now with a [G]handshake and a [F]check it seems so [Am]easy to forget
[F]Loyalty [G]through the bad times [Am]and through good
The owner [F]says he's [G]sad to see that [C]things have got so bad
But the [F]captains of [E]industry won't let him lose
He still [Am]drives a [G]car and [F]smokes his [Am]cigar
And [F]still he [G]takes his family [Am]on a cruise, he'll never lose

Verse 3

[Am]Well it seems to [G]me such a [F]cruel iron[Am]y
He's [F]richer [G]now than ever [Am]he was before
Now my [G]check is spent and I [F]can't afford the [Am]rent
There's [F]one law [G]for the rich, one [Am]for the poor
Every [F]day I've [G]tried to [C]salvage some of my pride
To [F]find some [E]work so I can pay my way
Oh but [Am]every[G]where I [F]go, the [Am]answer's always no
There's [F]no work [G]for anyone [Am]here today, no work today

Verse 4

[Am]And so condemned [G]I stand, just an [F]ordinary [Am]man
Like [F]thousands [G]beside me in the [Am]queue
I watch my [G]darling wife [F]trying to make the [Am]best of life
And [F]Lord knows [G]what the kids are going to [Am]do
Now that we are [F]faced with [G]this human [C]waste
A [F]generation [E]cast aside
And as [Am]long as [G]I live, I [F]never will for[Am]give
You've [F]stripped me [G]of my dignity and [Am]pride, you've stripped me bare
You've [F]stripped me [G]bare, you've [Am]stripped me bare

🎸 Strumming Pattern

This song works beautifully with a slow folk ballad feel in 6/8 time (counted as “1 2 3 4 5 6”).
If you prefer to think in 3/4, you can count “1 2 3” twice per measure — both feel natural.

Suggested Pattern (6/8 folk feel):

D D U D U
1 2 3 4 5 6

Where:

D = Downstroke

U = Upstroke

Feel:

Let the first Down be slightly heavier (on beat 1).

The pattern has a lilting swing — like a gentle waltz or Irish ballad.

Alternative (simpler 3/4 feel):

D D U
1 2 3

That’s two or three slow downstrokes per bar with a light upstroke flourish.

Tip:
Keep it gentle and steady, almost like the rhythm of walking — this fits Christy Moore’s vocal storytelling style.

🎶 Fingerpicking Pattern (Travis-style 6/8)

This is great if you want a soft intro or first verse with a melodic bass movement.

Pattern (6/8):

Thumb (p) – pluck bass (A or E string)
Index (i) – G string
Middle (m) – B string
Ring (a) – high E string

Typical roll:

p i m a i m
1 2 3 4 5 6

Keep a steady alternating bass.

🪕 Fingerpicking Tab – First Verse

Here’s a version that follows the chords of your first verse.
It’s arranged for standard tuning (EADGBE) and a 6/8 feel, one bar per chord (or as phrasing allows).

[Am] I'm an ordi[G]nary man, [F]nothing special [Am]nothing grand
e|---------0-------------3-------------1-------------0------|
B|-------1---1---------0---0---------1---1---------1---1----|
G|-----2-------2-----0-------0-----2-------2-----2-------2--|
D|---2-----------2-0-----------0-3-----------3-2-----------2|
A|-0--------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3-------------1-------------0-------------|

I've [F]had to [G]work for every[Am]thing I own
e|---------1-------------3-------------0------|
B|-------1---1---------0---0---------1---1----|
G|-----2-------2-----0-------0-----2-------2--|
D|---3-----------3-0-----------0-2-----------2|
A|-3-------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3-------------0-------------|

I never asked [G]for a lot, I was [F]happy with [Am]what I'd got
e|---------3-------------1-------------0------|
B|-------0---0---------1---1---------1---1----|
G|-----0-------0-----2-------2-----2-------2--|
D|---0-----------0-3-----------3-2-----------2|
A|-----------------------------0---------------|
E|-3-------------1-------------0---------------|

E[F]nough to [G]keep my family [Am]and my home
e|---------1-------------3-------------0------|
B|-------1---1---------0---0---------1---1----|
G|-----2-------2-----0-------0-----2-------2--|
D|---3-----------3-0-----------0-2-----------2|
A|-3-------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3-------------0-------------|

This gives you a warm rolling accompaniment that fits the mood of the lyrics perfectly.
You can then transition to gentle strumming as the song builds.

🎶 Ordinary Man (Key: E minor)
[Em]I'm an ordi[D]nary man, [C]nothing special[Em] nothing grand
I've [C]had to [D]work for every[Em]thing I own
I never asked [D]for a lot, I was [C]happy with [Em]what I'd got
E[C]nough to [D]keep my family [Em]and my home
Now they say that [C]times are [D]hard and [G]they've handed me my cards
They [C]say there's not the [B7]work to go around
And [Em]when the [D]whistle [C]blows, the gates [Em]will finally close
To [C]night they're [D]going to shut this [Em]factory down
Then they'll [C]tear [D]it [Em]down

Verse 2
[Em]I never missed a [D]day nor went on [C]strike for better [Em]pay
For [C]twenty [D]years I served the [Em]best I could
Now with a [D]handshake and a [C]check it seems so [Em]easy to forget
[C]Loyalty [D]through the bad times [Em]and through good
The owner [C]says he's [D]sad to see that [G]things have got so bad
But the [C]captains of [B7]industry won't let him lose
He still [Em]drives a [D]car and [C]smokes his [Em]cigar
And [C]still he [D]takes his family [Em]on a cruise, he'll never lose

Verse 3
[Em]Well it seems to [D]me such a [C]cruel iron[Em]y
He's [C]richer [D]now than ever [Em]he was before
Now my [D]check is spent and I [C]can't afford the [Em]rent
There's [C]one law [D]for the rich, one [Em]for the poor
Every [C]day I've [D]tried to [G]salvage some of my pride
To [C]find some [B7]work so I can pay my way
Oh but [Em]every[D]where I [C]go, the [Em]answer's always no
There's [C]no work [D]for anyone [Em]here today, no work today

Verse 4
[Em]And so condemned [D]I stand, just an [C]ordinary [Em]man
Like [C]thousands [D]beside me in the [Em]queue
I watch my [D]darling wife [C]trying to make the [Em]best of life
And [C]Lord knows [D]what the kids are going to [Em]do
Now that we are [C]faced with [D]this human [G]waste
A [C]generation [B7]cast aside
And as [Em]long as [D]I live, I [C]never will for[Em]give
You've [C]stripped me [D]of my dignity and [Em]pride, you've stripped me bare
You've [C]stripped me [D]bare, you've [Em]stripped me bare

🔹Chord Transposition Reference
Original-- New Key
Am =   Em
G =   D
F =   C
C =    G
E =    B7

Below is the list of songs in the Christy Moore pdf song book. Over 50 of Christy's greatest songs
with sheet music and tin whistle notes. Price €8.75. Ordinary man included

Ordinary Man full sheet music with piano chords by Christy Moore

ordinary man sheet music - Christy Moore Song

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

Ordinary man singer Christy Moore

🎶 Ordinary Man – Christy Moore

Writer: Peter Hames
Performer: Christy Moore
Album: Ordinary Man (1985)
Genre: Irish contemporary folk / protest song
Themes: Unemployment, social injustice, loss of dignity, working-class life

🧱 Overview

“Ordinary Man” is one of Christy Moore’s most celebrated songs — a working-class anthem that speaks to the heart of Ireland’s economic struggles during the 1980s.

Written by English songwriter Peter Hames, the song found its spiritual home in Christy Moore’s voice. When Moore recorded it in 1985, Ireland was suffering from high unemployment, mass emigration, and the collapse of traditional industries. The song resonated deeply with audiences who saw their own lives reflected in its verses.

📖 Lyrics and Meaning

The song tells the story of a man who loses his job in a factory and finds himself discarded by the very system to which he gave his life. It’s both a personal lament and a wider critique of economic policies and corporate greed.

“Now I'm an ordinary man, they try to do the best I can,
But there’s no work most days — and I’m only getting in the way.”

The chorus captures the heartbreak of the working man:

“I’m just an ordinary man, nothing special, nothing grand,
I’ve had to work for everything I own.”

Each verse paints a picture of how ordinary workers were betrayed by politicians and profit-seeking employers, who closed factories and sold out their workforce. Moore’s delivery is direct, emotional, and tinged with anger and sadness.

⚙️ Social and Historical Context

The 1980s were a time of economic depression and unemployment in both Ireland and the UK.

Factories were closing due to globalization and modernization.

Thousands of Irish workers were laid off, with many forced to emigrate to Britain, America, or Australia.

The working class — particularly industrial laborers and tradesmen — felt forgotten.

“Ordinary Man” gave a voice to that silent suffering, capturing the dignity of the worker who loses everything yet still tries to hold onto self-respect.

It became more than a song — it was a social statement and, for many, a protest ballad against government indifference.

🎵 Musical Style

Key: Usually performed in D minor Am or Gm, sometimes, like me using a capo on the 2nd fret

Mood: Sad, contemplative, but with quiet defiance.

Christy Moore’s version is marked by his restrained but deeply emotional delivery, allowing the lyrics to carry the weight of the message.

🎤 Christy Moore’s Interpretation

Moore made “Ordinary Man” his own.
While the song was written by Peter Hames (who was based in England and had connections to the mining communities), Christy Moore recontextualized it within Irish social reality.

He performed it at concerts, often introducing it with commentary about workers’ rights and the struggles of everyday people.
For many Irish listeners, the song stood alongside other Moore classics like “Viva la Quinta Brigada” and “Lisdoonvarna” as part of his political repertoire.

💬 Key Themes
Theme Description
Working-class dignity The song defends the humanity of workers who lose their jobs.
Economic injustice Critiques the rich and powerful who profit at the expense of others.
Loss and resilience The narrator loses everything material but retains moral strength.
Social alienation Reflects the loneliness of being left behind by society’s progress.
🪕 Famous Recordings & Legacy

Christy Moore – Ordinary Man (1985)
The definitive version — raw, haunting, and compassionate.

Damien Dempsey and Paul Brady have both cited the song as a major influence in Irish songwriting.

The track became a staple in Moore’s live performances, often receiving emotional responses from audiences who sang every word.

🇮🇪 Cultural Significance

“Ordinary Man” remains one of the most important Irish folk songs of the modern era.
It bridges traditional storytelling with contemporary social issues, continuing the tradition of Irish ballads that speak truth to power — much like the songs of Ewan MacColl or Woody Guthrie.

For many Irish people, it stands as a symbol of solidarity — a reminder that behind every statistic of unemployment or recession lies a real person, a family, and a story.

🧭 In Summary

Songwriter: Peter Hames

Popularized by: Christy Moore

First Recorded: 1985

Album: Ordinary Man

Genre: Folk ballad / protest song

Key message: The quiet heroism of working people who endure loss with dignity.

“It’s a song for all those who gave their lives to the job,
only to find the job gave nothing back.” — Christy Moore (live introduction, 1987)

Ordinary Man Lyrics And Chords

​Ordinary Man full sheet music with piano chords by Christy Moore

Ordinary Man full sheet music with piano chords by Christy Moore