Rose Of Alabamy Guitar Chords And Lyrics
The song lyrics and guitar chords for The Rose Of Alabamy. The 5 string banjo chords in G Major are included plus the mandolin tab and tin whistle notes. 2/4 guitar timing An American Confederate song.
Intro: one instrumental verse + one instrumental Chorus
A(G)way from Mississippi's (C)vale,
With (G)my ol' hat there (D)for a sail,
I (C)crossed upon a (G)cotton (C)bale,
To the (G)Rose of (D)Ala(G)bamy.
Chorus
(C)Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Ala(G)bamy.
The (G)sweet tobacco (C)posey is the (G)Rose of (D)Ala(G)bamy.
Bridge: one instrumental verse + one instrumental Chorus
The (G)river rose; the cricket (C)sang,
The (G)lightnin' bug he (D)flashed his wing,
And (C)like a rope my (G)arms I (C)fling,
'Round (G)Rose of (D)Ala(G)bamy.
Chorus
Bridge: one instrumental verse + one instrumental Chorus
So (G)fare thee well Eliza (C)Jane,
And (G)fare thee well you (D)belles of fame,
For (C)all your charms are (G)put to (C)shame,
By the (G)Rose of (D)Ala(G)bamy
Chorus
Outro: one instrumental verse + one instrumental Chorus
Repeat Outro
“The Rose of Alabamy” is an old minstrel-era tune with a rolling riverboat feel in G Major.
We’ll set it up with a gentle fingerpicked verse and a bouncy strummed chorus, just like it would have been played on a banjo or guitar around 1850.
🎵 The Rose of Alabamy
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Tempo: ~90 BPM
Style: Folk / Southern Minstrel
🎸 STRUMMING PATTERN
🔹 Verse Pattern
↓ Bass ↓ Up ↓ Up
Count it: 1 2 & 3 & 4 &
Keep alternating bass notes:
On G: bass → 6th, 4th strings
On C: bass → 5th, 4th strings
On D: bass → 4th, 5th strings
Keep it smooth, flowing — like the Mississippi River.
🔹 Chorus Pattern
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Count: ONE two-and THREE-and FOUR-and
A bit stronger — joyous and rhythmic.
🎸 FINGERPICKING PATTERN (for verses)
Use a gentle Travis picking:
T – I – M – T – I – M
(count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &)
T (thumb): alternating bass
I (index): G string
M (middle): B string
Keep your fingers relaxed and rolling like a lullaby.
🪶 FINGERPICKING TAB (Verses & Chorus)
Verse
(“Away from Mississippi’s vale…”)
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Away from Mississippi's vale, with my ol’ hat there for a sail,
G D
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------3---3-------3---3---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
I crossed upon a cotton bale, to the Rose of Alabamy.
Chorus
(Strum strongly or hybrid pick with thumb and fingers)
Pattern: ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
(C)Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Ala(G)bamy,
The (G)sweet tobacco (C)posey is the (G)Rose of (D)Ala(G)bamy.
If you’d like to fingerpick the chorus too:
C G
e|--------0-----------0-----------|--------3-----------3-----------|
B|------1---1-------1---1---------|------0---0-------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------2-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Alabamy…
G D G
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------3---3-------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
The sweet tobacco posey is the Rose of Alabamy.
🎧 PERFORMANCE NOTES
Verses: Travis-pick softly to let the lyrics breathe.
Chorus: Strum more fully, sing warmly and with rhythm.
A light bass alternating pulse keeps that steamboat “chug.”
End with a soft picked G chord letting it ring.
We’ll set it up with a gentle fingerpicked verse and a bouncy strummed chorus, just like it would have been played on a banjo or guitar around 1850.
🎵 The Rose of Alabamy
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Tempo: ~90 BPM
Style: Folk / Southern Minstrel
🎸 STRUMMING PATTERN
🔹 Verse Pattern
↓ Bass ↓ Up ↓ Up
Count it: 1 2 & 3 & 4 &
Keep alternating bass notes:
On G: bass → 6th, 4th strings
On C: bass → 5th, 4th strings
On D: bass → 4th, 5th strings
Keep it smooth, flowing — like the Mississippi River.
🔹 Chorus Pattern
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Count: ONE two-and THREE-and FOUR-and
A bit stronger — joyous and rhythmic.
🎸 FINGERPICKING PATTERN (for verses)
Use a gentle Travis picking:
T – I – M – T – I – M
(count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &)
T (thumb): alternating bass
I (index): G string
M (middle): B string
Keep your fingers relaxed and rolling like a lullaby.
🪶 FINGERPICKING TAB (Verses & Chorus)
Verse
(“Away from Mississippi’s vale…”)
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Away from Mississippi's vale, with my ol’ hat there for a sail,
G D
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------3---3-------3---3---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
I crossed upon a cotton bale, to the Rose of Alabamy.
Chorus
(Strum strongly or hybrid pick with thumb and fingers)
Pattern: ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
(C)Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Ala(G)bamy,
The (G)sweet tobacco (C)posey is the (G)Rose of (D)Ala(G)bamy.
If you’d like to fingerpick the chorus too:
C G
e|--------0-----------0-----------|--------3-----------3-----------|
B|------1---1-------1---1---------|------0---0-------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------2-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Alabamy…
G D G
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------3---3-------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
The sweet tobacco posey is the Rose of Alabamy.
🎧 PERFORMANCE NOTES
Verses: Travis-pick softly to let the lyrics breathe.
Chorus: Strum more fully, sing warmly and with rhythm.
A light bass alternating pulse keeps that steamboat “chug.”
End with a soft picked G chord letting it ring.
Here are the guitar chords for the key of D Major.
A(D)way from Mississippi's (G)vale,
With (D)my ol' hat there (A)for a sail,
I (G)crossed upon a (D)cotton (G)bale,
To the (D)Rose of (A)Ala(D)bamy.
Chorus
(G)Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Ala(D)bamy.
The (D)sweet tobacco (G)posey is the (D)Rose of (A)Ala(D)bamy.
A(D)way from Mississippi's (G)vale,
With (D)my ol' hat there (A)for a sail,
I (G)crossed upon a (D)cotton (G)bale,
To the (D)Rose of (A)Ala(D)bamy.
Chorus
(G)Oh brown Rosie, Rose of Ala(D)bamy.
The (D)sweet tobacco (G)posey is the (D)Rose of (A)Ala(D)bamy.
Tin Whistle Notes For The Rose Of Alabamy
Rose Of Alabamy Sheet Music For Mandolin
