Rock On Rockall lyrics and guitar chords
The Wolfe Tones written by Brian Warfield. The 5 string banjo chords are included. Don't say I didn't tell you it's loaded with oil and gas
of the coast of Donegal, we've been telling you for years. The Wolfe Tones brought out this song in seventies to highlight the potential of oil and gas off the North West coast. During the cod war between England and Iceland we played a festival which was attended by one of the
captains of the Icelandic fleet who enjoyed the song so much it was translated by the crew as their them song. The English went to great lengths to claim the rock. They planted a flag which blew away, they painted a flag on the rock but the seagulls covered it in s... and it
can't be seen anymore. They had a squadie camp on it to say it was inhabited by them but we all know it is Irish to the core. Brian Warfield Wolfe Tones. Also recorded by Charlie And The Bhoys, The Irish Ramblers, Celtic Rebels and The Irish Brigade.
of the coast of Donegal, we've been telling you for years. The Wolfe Tones brought out this song in seventies to highlight the potential of oil and gas off the North West coast. During the cod war between England and Iceland we played a festival which was attended by one of the
captains of the Icelandic fleet who enjoyed the song so much it was translated by the crew as their them song. The English went to great lengths to claim the rock. They planted a flag which blew away, they painted a flag on the rock but the seagulls covered it in s... and it
can't be seen anymore. They had a squadie camp on it to say it was inhabited by them but we all know it is Irish to the core. Brian Warfield Wolfe Tones. Also recorded by Charlie And The Bhoys, The Irish Ramblers, Celtic Rebels and The Irish Brigade.
Tin whistle notes to Rock On Rockall are in the Irish Rebel Songs For Tin Whistle
Oh[C] the empire it is finished,no forign lands to seize,
So the[F] greedy eye of[C] England is turning towards the[G] seas,
Two[C] hundred miles from Done[Am]gal,theres a[C] place thats called Rockall,
And the[F] groping hands of[C] Whitehall are[G] grabbing at it's[C] walls.
[Chorus]
Oh[C] Rock on Rockall you'll never[Am] fall,for[C] Britains greedy hands,
Or you'll[F] meet the same re[C]sistance as you did in many[G] lands,
May the[C] sea-guls rise and pluck your[Am] eyes,and the[C] water crush your shell,
And the[F] natural gass wil[C]l burn your arse and[G] blow you all to[C] hell.
[2]
This rock is part of Ireland,for it's written in folklore,
When Finn McCool* took a sod of grass,and threw it to the fore,
Then he tossed a pebble across the sea,where ever did it fall,
For the sod became the Isle Of Man,now the pebble's called Rockall.
[3]
Oh the sea's will not be silent,while Britannia,grabs the waves,
And remember that the Irish will no longer be your slaves,
And remember that Britannia well,she rules the waves no more,
So keep your hands off Rockall it's Irish to the core.
So the[F] greedy eye of[C] England is turning towards the[G] seas,
Two[C] hundred miles from Done[Am]gal,theres a[C] place thats called Rockall,
And the[F] groping hands of[C] Whitehall are[G] grabbing at it's[C] walls.
[Chorus]
Oh[C] Rock on Rockall you'll never[Am] fall,for[C] Britains greedy hands,
Or you'll[F] meet the same re[C]sistance as you did in many[G] lands,
May the[C] sea-guls rise and pluck your[Am] eyes,and the[C] water crush your shell,
And the[F] natural gass wil[C]l burn your arse and[G] blow you all to[C] hell.
[2]
This rock is part of Ireland,for it's written in folklore,
When Finn McCool* took a sod of grass,and threw it to the fore,
Then he tossed a pebble across the sea,where ever did it fall,
For the sod became the Isle Of Man,now the pebble's called Rockall.
[3]
Oh the sea's will not be silent,while Britannia,grabs the waves,
And remember that the Irish will no longer be your slaves,
And remember that Britannia well,she rules the waves no more,
So keep your hands off Rockall it's Irish to the core.
Finn McCool, Irish warrior
Here are the guitar chords in the key of G
this rebel sea ballad “Rock on Rockall” (by The Wolfe Tones) deserves the full treatment!
Below is the complete song with chords, a natural Irish-folk strumming pattern, and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse and chorus so you can play both rhythm and lead.
🎵 Full Song with Chords
Verse 1
Oh [G]the empire it is finished, no [C]foreign lands to [G]seize,
So the [C]greedy eye of [G]England is [Am]turning toward the [D]seas.
Two [G]hundred miles from Done[Em]gal, there’s a [G]place that’s called Rockall,
And the [C]groping hands of [G]Whitehall are [D]grabbing at its [G]walls.
Chorus
Oh [G]Rock on Rockall, you’ll never [Em]fall for [G]Britain’s greedy hands,
Or you’ll [C]meet the same re[G]sistance as you [Am]did in many [D]lands.
May the [G]sea-gulls rise and pluck your [Em]eyes, and the [G]water crush your shell,
And the [C]natural gas will [G]burn your arse and [D]blow you all to [G]hell!
Verse 2
This [G]rock is part of Ireland, for it’s [C]written in folk[G]lore,
When [C]Finn McCool took a [G]sod of grass and [Am]threw it to the [D]fore.
Then he [G]tossed a pebble a[Em]cross the sea, where [G]ever did it fall?
For the [C]sod became the [G]Isle of Man, now the [D]pebble’s called Rock[G]all.
Chorus (same chords)
Verse 3
Oh the [G]seas will not be silent, while [C]Britannia grabs the [G]waves,
And re[C]member that the [G]Irish will no [Am]longer be your [D]slaves.
And re[G]member that Britannia [Em]well, she [G]rules the waves no more,
So [C]keep your hands off [G]Rockall — it’s [D]Irish to the [G]core!
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Irish Rebel March Feel)
This one works great at ~100–110 bpm, strong and steady like a marching song.
Pattern:
Down – Down-Up – Up-Down-Up
Counted as:
1 – 2& – 3&4&
Or for more drive, use the folk shuffle / bass-chord pattern:
Bass – Down-Up – Bass – Down-Up
(Play the bass note of each chord on beats 1 and 3 — great for the pub-style bounce.)
Optional accents: Emphasize the Down-Up after beat 2 for that Irish snap.
🪕 Fingerpicking Tab (First Verse & Chorus)
Here’s a light Travis-picking pattern in G major.
Use thumb for bass (E/A/D), index for G, middle for B, and ring for high E.
Capo 0, standard tuning.
🎶 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-----------------------------------------------------|
Oh the empire it is finished, no foreign lands to seize,
[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|-------------------------------------------------------|
So the greedy eye of England is turning towards the seas,
[G] [Em]
e|---------3-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
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-----------------------------------------------------|
Two hundred miles from Donegal, there’s a place that’s called Rockall,
[C] [G] [D] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------2-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
And the groping hands of Whitehall are grabbing at its walls.
🎵 Chorus 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-----------------------------------------------------|
Oh Rock on Rockall, you'll never fall,
[Em]
e|---------0-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------2-----------2-----------2---------------|
A|-2-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
For Britain’s greedy hands,
[C] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------3-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Or you’ll meet the same resistance as you did in many lands,
[Em] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------3-----------3---------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-2-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
[C] [G] [D] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------2-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
May the sea-gulls rise and pluck your eyes, and blow you all to hell!
this rebel sea ballad “Rock on Rockall” (by The Wolfe Tones) deserves the full treatment!
Below is the complete song with chords, a natural Irish-folk strumming pattern, and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse and chorus so you can play both rhythm and lead.
🎵 Full Song with Chords
Verse 1
Oh [G]the empire it is finished, no [C]foreign lands to [G]seize,
So the [C]greedy eye of [G]England is [Am]turning toward the [D]seas.
Two [G]hundred miles from Done[Em]gal, there’s a [G]place that’s called Rockall,
And the [C]groping hands of [G]Whitehall are [D]grabbing at its [G]walls.
Chorus
Oh [G]Rock on Rockall, you’ll never [Em]fall for [G]Britain’s greedy hands,
Or you’ll [C]meet the same re[G]sistance as you [Am]did in many [D]lands.
May the [G]sea-gulls rise and pluck your [Em]eyes, and the [G]water crush your shell,
And the [C]natural gas will [G]burn your arse and [D]blow you all to [G]hell!
Verse 2
This [G]rock is part of Ireland, for it’s [C]written in folk[G]lore,
When [C]Finn McCool took a [G]sod of grass and [Am]threw it to the [D]fore.
Then he [G]tossed a pebble a[Em]cross the sea, where [G]ever did it fall?
For the [C]sod became the [G]Isle of Man, now the [D]pebble’s called Rock[G]all.
Chorus (same chords)
Verse 3
Oh the [G]seas will not be silent, while [C]Britannia grabs the [G]waves,
And re[C]member that the [G]Irish will no [Am]longer be your [D]slaves.
And re[G]member that Britannia [Em]well, she [G]rules the waves no more,
So [C]keep your hands off [G]Rockall — it’s [D]Irish to the [G]core!
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Irish Rebel March Feel)
This one works great at ~100–110 bpm, strong and steady like a marching song.
Pattern:
Down – Down-Up – Up-Down-Up
Counted as:
1 – 2& – 3&4&
Or for more drive, use the folk shuffle / bass-chord pattern:
Bass – Down-Up – Bass – Down-Up
(Play the bass note of each chord on beats 1 and 3 — great for the pub-style bounce.)
Optional accents: Emphasize the Down-Up after beat 2 for that Irish snap.
🪕 Fingerpicking Tab (First Verse & Chorus)
Here’s a light Travis-picking pattern in G major.
Use thumb for bass (E/A/D), index for G, middle for B, and ring for high E.
Capo 0, standard tuning.
🎶 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-----------------------------------------------------|
Oh the empire it is finished, no foreign lands to seize,
[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|-------------------------------------------------------|
So the greedy eye of England is turning towards the seas,
[G] [Em]
e|---------3-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
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-----------------------------------------------------|
Two hundred miles from Donegal, there’s a place that’s called Rockall,
[C] [G] [D] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------2-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
And the groping hands of Whitehall are grabbing at its walls.
🎵 Chorus 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-----------------------------------------------------|
Oh Rock on Rockall, you'll never fall,
[Em]
e|---------0-----------0-----------0-----------0---------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------2-----------2-----------2---------------|
A|-2-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
For Britain’s greedy hands,
[C] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------3-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Or you’ll meet the same resistance as you did in many lands,
[Em] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------3-----------3---------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-2-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
[C] [G] [D] [G]
e|---------0-----------3-----------2-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|---2-----------0-----------0-----------0---------------|
A|-3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|
May the sea-gulls rise and pluck your eyes, and blow you all to hell!
The photo above is taken from the C.I.A. world factbook Clearly the Americans think Rockall belongs to Britain. But they are wrong,the rock belongs to nobody but the Irish.
Return to the Wolfe Tones Songs
Return to the Wolfe Tones Songs
Rock on Rockall lyrics by The Wolfe Tones
The Wolfe Tones song Rock on rockall
