Quare Things In Dublin lyrics and chords
The Wolfe Tones lyrics and guitar chords, written by Brian Warfield, a comical look at old Dublin and a message saying not to put your thrust in people that have two faces, just like the clocks with four faces. Alternative chords, G=D, C=G, Am=Em, D=A. The sheet music for tin whistle is included.
[G]There's quare things in Dublin between Howth and Crumlin.
[C]Down in Rings[G]end there's a[Am] five-legged[D] cat,
A three-[G]legged donkey, two-headed monkey.
There’s[C] nothing so[G] quare as this[D] four-faced old[G] clock.
[G]There's a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple,
[C]Proud and er[G]ect with four[Am] faces so[D] tall.
While[G] one of them says you are late, it's deceiving.
The[C] other one[G] says it’s a[D] quarter be[G]fore.
You run down the[C] road and he[G] grins as you[D] hurry,
Then[G] just round the[C] corner you[G] look up in sur[D]prise.
It's[G] not quite the same as it was on the last street.
[C]This bloody[G] blackguard is[D7] telling me[G] lies.
There's a half-hour to spare. Now how will I kill it
I'll nip up the road and nip in for a jar.
With the chimes of four bells, I look back in amazement.
His other side has gone past the hour.
There's a lesson in life to adopt and interpret.
It applies to all people regardless of race.
Don't put your trust or your faith in a person
If sometimes they seem to have more than one face
[C]Down in Rings[G]end there's a[Am] five-legged[D] cat,
A three-[G]legged donkey, two-headed monkey.
There’s[C] nothing so[G] quare as this[D] four-faced old[G] clock.
[G]There's a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple,
[C]Proud and er[G]ect with four[Am] faces so[D] tall.
While[G] one of them says you are late, it's deceiving.
The[C] other one[G] says it’s a[D] quarter be[G]fore.
You run down the[C] road and he[G] grins as you[D] hurry,
Then[G] just round the[C] corner you[G] look up in sur[D]prise.
It's[G] not quite the same as it was on the last street.
[C]This bloody[G] blackguard is[D7] telling me[G] lies.
There's a half-hour to spare. Now how will I kill it
I'll nip up the road and nip in for a jar.
With the chimes of four bells, I look back in amazement.
His other side has gone past the hour.
There's a lesson in life to adopt and interpret.
It applies to all people regardless of race.
Don't put your trust or your faith in a person
If sometimes they seem to have more than one face
🎵 Full Song with Chords
Verse 1
[G]There’s quare things in Dublin between [C]Howth and Crumlin,
Down in Rings[G]end there’s a [Am]five-legged [D]cat,
A three-[G]legged donkey, two-headed monkey,
There’s [C]nothing so [G]quare as this [D]four-faced old [G]clock.
Verse 2
[G]There’s a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple,
[C]Proud and e[G]rect with four [Am]faces so [D]tall.
While [G]one of them says you are late, it’s deceiving,
The [C]other one [G]says it’s a [D]quarter be[G]fore.
You run down the [C]road and he [G]grins as you [D]hurry,
Then [G]just round the [C]corner you [G]look up in sur[D]prise.
It’s [G]not quite the same as it [C]was on the last street --
This [C]bloody [G]blackguard is [D7]telling me [G]lies.
Verse 3
[G]There’s a half-hour to spare — now how will I kill it?
[C]I’ll nip up the [G]road and nip [Am]in for a [D]jar.
With the [G]chimes of four bells I look back in amazement,
His [C]other side’s [G]gone and it’s [D]past the [G]hour.
There’s a [C]lesson in life to [G]adopt and inter[D]pret,
It [G]applies to all [C]people re[G]gardless of [D]race.
Don’t [G]put your trust or your [C]faith in a [G]person,
If [C]sometimes they [G]seem to have [D7]more than one [G]face.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Irish Folk / Jig Feel)
Use a steady swinging 4/4 or a light 6/8 feel depending on tempo.
For 4/4 (common pub singalong style):
Down – Down-Up – Up-Down-Up
(Accent the 2nd Down-Up for bounce)
Count:
1 – 2& – 3&4&
Or for a more lilting jig feel (6/8):
Down (1-2) Down-Up (3-4-5-6) — think Down... Down-UpDown-Up
Tip:
Alternate between bass note and full chord strokes for a classic folk-guitar texture:
Bass – Down-Up – Bass – Down-Up
🪕 Fingerpicking Tab (First Verse & Chorus-Style)
Here’s a gentle fingerpicked pattern you can use as an intro or for quiet verses.
Standard tuning, no capo.
Pattern: T = thumb, I = index, M = middle.
Thumb alternates between bass strings; I/M pick melody.
🎶 Verse 1 Fingerpicking
[G]
e|---------3-----------3-----------3-----------3---------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|---2-----------2-----------2-----------2---------------|
E|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
There's quare things in Dublin between Howth and Crumlin,
[C]
e|---------0-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------2-----------2-----------2---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Down in Ringsend there's a five-legged cat,
[G] [Am] [D]
e|---------3-----------0-----------2-----------2---------|
B|-------0---0-------1---1-------3---3-------3---3-------|
G|-----0-------0---2-------2---2-------2---2-------2-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
E|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
A three-legged donkey, two-headed monkey,
[G] [C] [G] [D] [G]
e|---------3-----------0-----------3-----------2-----------3---------|
B|-------0---0-------1---1-------0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------0-----------|
A|---2-----------3-----------2-----------0---------------------------|
E|-3---------------------------------------------------------------|
There’s nothing so quare as this four-faced old clock.
🎵 Chorus/Second Verse Opening (Same Pattern)
Use the same fingerpicking flow for:
“There’s a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple…”
You can break into strumming from there for dynamics.
Verse 1
[G]There’s quare things in Dublin between [C]Howth and Crumlin,
Down in Rings[G]end there’s a [Am]five-legged [D]cat,
A three-[G]legged donkey, two-headed monkey,
There’s [C]nothing so [G]quare as this [D]four-faced old [G]clock.
Verse 2
[G]There’s a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple,
[C]Proud and e[G]rect with four [Am]faces so [D]tall.
While [G]one of them says you are late, it’s deceiving,
The [C]other one [G]says it’s a [D]quarter be[G]fore.
You run down the [C]road and he [G]grins as you [D]hurry,
Then [G]just round the [C]corner you [G]look up in sur[D]prise.
It’s [G]not quite the same as it [C]was on the last street --
This [C]bloody [G]blackguard is [D7]telling me [G]lies.
Verse 3
[G]There’s a half-hour to spare — now how will I kill it?
[C]I’ll nip up the [G]road and nip [Am]in for a [D]jar.
With the [G]chimes of four bells I look back in amazement,
His [C]other side’s [G]gone and it’s [D]past the [G]hour.
There’s a [C]lesson in life to [G]adopt and inter[D]pret,
It [G]applies to all [C]people re[G]gardless of [D]race.
Don’t [G]put your trust or your [C]faith in a [G]person,
If [C]sometimes they [G]seem to have [D7]more than one [G]face.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Irish Folk / Jig Feel)
Use a steady swinging 4/4 or a light 6/8 feel depending on tempo.
For 4/4 (common pub singalong style):
Down – Down-Up – Up-Down-Up
(Accent the 2nd Down-Up for bounce)
Count:
1 – 2& – 3&4&
Or for a more lilting jig feel (6/8):
Down (1-2) Down-Up (3-4-5-6) — think Down... Down-UpDown-Up
Tip:
Alternate between bass note and full chord strokes for a classic folk-guitar texture:
Bass – Down-Up – Bass – Down-Up
🪕 Fingerpicking Tab (First Verse & Chorus-Style)
Here’s a gentle fingerpicked pattern you can use as an intro or for quiet verses.
Standard tuning, no capo.
Pattern: T = thumb, I = index, M = middle.
Thumb alternates between bass strings; I/M pick melody.
🎶 Verse 1 Fingerpicking
[G]
e|---------3-----------3-----------3-----------3---------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|---2-----------2-----------2-----------2---------------|
E|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
There's quare things in Dublin between Howth and Crumlin,
[C]
e|---------0-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------1---1-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------2-----------2-----------2---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Down in Ringsend there's a five-legged cat,
[G] [Am] [D]
e|---------3-----------0-----------2-----------2---------|
B|-------0---0-------1---1-------3---3-------3---3-------|
G|-----0-------0---2-------2---2-------2---2-------2-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
E|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
A three-legged donkey, two-headed monkey,
[G] [C] [G] [D] [G]
e|---------3-----------0-----------3-----------2-----------3---------|
B|-------0---0-------1---1-------0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|-------------------------------------------------------0-----------|
A|---2-----------3-----------2-----------0---------------------------|
E|-3---------------------------------------------------------------|
There’s nothing so quare as this four-faced old clock.
🎵 Chorus/Second Verse Opening (Same Pattern)
Use the same fingerpicking flow for:
“There’s a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple…”
You can break into strumming from there for dynamics.
Here's a version of the song chords in the key of D
[D]There's quare things in Dublin between Howth and Crumlin.
[G]Down in Rings[D]end there's a[Em] five-legged[A] cat,
A three-[D]legged donkey, two-headed monkey.
There’s[G] nothing so[D] quare as this[A] four-faced old[D] clock.
[D]There's a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple,
[G]Proud and er[D]ect with four[Em] faces so[A] tall.
While[D] one of them says you are late, it's deceiving.
The[G] other one[D] says it’s a[A] quarter be[D]fore.
You run down the[G] road and he[D] grins as you[A] hurry,
Then[D] just round the[G] corner you[D] look up in sur[A]prise.
It's[D] not quite the same as it was on the last street.
[G]This bloody[D] blackguard is[A7] telling me[D] lies.
Back to the Wolfe Tones Song Lyrics
[D]There's quare things in Dublin between Howth and Crumlin.
[G]Down in Rings[D]end there's a[Em] five-legged[A] cat,
A three-[D]legged donkey, two-headed monkey.
There’s[G] nothing so[D] quare as this[A] four-faced old[D] clock.
[D]There's a clock in old Dublin that stands on a steeple,
[G]Proud and er[D]ect with four[Em] faces so[A] tall.
While[D] one of them says you are late, it's deceiving.
The[G] other one[D] says it’s a[A] quarter be[D]fore.
You run down the[G] road and he[D] grins as you[A] hurry,
Then[D] just round the[G] corner you[D] look up in sur[A]prise.
It's[D] not quite the same as it was on the last street.
[G]This bloody[D] blackguard is[A7] telling me[D] lies.
Back to the Wolfe Tones Song Lyrics
The Wolfe Tones song quare things in Dublin
