Sam Hall Lyrics Chords And Sheet Music
Sam Hall [ Lyrics And Chords ] is a traditional song with versions found in America, Britain and Ireland. The tenor banjo and 5 string banjo chords are included for the key of D Major.This version is the one from Ireland. Coothill is in Co. Cavan. I have included the tin whistle notes and sheet music. The youtube video is of myself and I'm playing guitar which are displayed in chordpro in D.Sam Hall tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA tuning included.
Woman playing Sam Hall song on guitar
Sam Hall guitar tab
Sam Hall Song Lyrics And Guitar Chords In D Major
Oh[D] me name it is Sam[G] Hall chimney [D]sweep,chimney[A] sweep,
Oh me[D] name it is Sam[G] Hall chimney[D] sweep,
Oh meG] name it is Sam Hall,and I've[D] robbed both rich and[A] small,
And me[D] neck will pay for[G] all when I[D] die,when I [A]die.
And me[D] neck will pay for[G] all when I[D] die
[2]
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart,in a cart,
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart,
Oh they took me to Coothill,and I stopped to make my will
And the best of friends must part,so must I,so must I,
For the best of friends must part,so must I.
[3]
Up the ladder I did group,thats no joke,thats no joke,
Up the ladder,I did group thats no joke,
Up the ladder I did group,and the hangman pulled the rope,
And ne'er a word I spoke,tumbling down,tumbling down,
And ne'er a word I spoke tumbling down.
Oh[D] me name it is Sam[G] Hall chimney [D]sweep,chimney[A] sweep,
Oh me[D] name it is Sam[G] Hall chimney[D] sweep,
Oh meG] name it is Sam Hall,and I've[D] robbed both rich and[A] small,
And me[D] neck will pay for[G] all when I[D] die,when I [A]die.
And me[D] neck will pay for[G] all when I[D] die
[2]
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart,in a cart,
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart,
Oh they took me to Coothill,and I stopped to make my will
And the best of friends must part,so must I,so must I,
For the best of friends must part,so must I.
[3]
Up the ladder I did group,thats no joke,thats no joke,
Up the ladder,I did group thats no joke,
Up the ladder I did group,and the hangman pulled the rope,
And ne'er a word I spoke,tumbling down,tumbling down,
And ne'er a word I spoke tumbling down.
“Sam Hall” in G major, with chords on all verses, a suggested strumming pattern, and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse.
🎸 Key: G Major
Tempo: Moderato (about 90 bpm)
Time Signature: 3/4 (waltz feel)
🎵 Suggested Strumming Pattern (3/4 time)
Bass–Down–Up or written as:
[B D U] [B D U] [B D U]
Hit the bass note of the chord on beat 1.
Then a down–up strum for beats 2 and 3.
Example:
G → pick 6th string (G), then Down–Up.
D → pick 4th string (D), then Down–Up.
A → pick 5th string (A), then Down–Up.
🪕 Chords Used
G = 320003
D = xx0232
A = x02220
🎶 Lyrics with Chords
Verse 1
D G D
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep, chimney A sweep,
D G D
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep,
G D A
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, and I've robbed both rich and small,
D G D A
And me neck will pay for all when I die, when I die,
D G D
And me neck will pay for all when I die.
Verse 2
D G D
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart, in a cart,
D G D
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart,
G D A
Oh they took me to Coothill, and I stopped to make my will,
D G D A
And the best of friends must part, so must I, so must I,
D G D
For the best of friends must part, so must I.
Verse 3
D G D
Up the ladder I did go, that’s no joke, that’s no joke,
D G D
Up the ladder I did go, that’s no joke,
G D A
Up the ladder I did go, and the hangman pulled the rope,
D G D A
And ne’er a word I spoke, tumbling down, tumbling down,
D G D
And ne’er a word I spoke tumbling down.
🎸 Fingerpicking Tab (Verse 1)
Simple Travis-style picking (alternating bass + melody highlights).
Use this as an intro or for the first verse.
D G D A
e|---------2-------------2-|---------3-------------3-|---------2-------------2-|---------0-------------0-|
B|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----0-------0-----0-----|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----2-------2-----2-----|
G|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---0---0---0---0---0---0-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|
D|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|
A|--------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|--------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|-3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D G D A
e|---------2-------------2-|---------3-------------3-|---------2-------------2-|---------0-------------0-|
B|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----0-------0-----0-----|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----2-------2-----2-----|
G|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---0---0---0---0---0---0-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|
D|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|
A|--------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|--------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|-3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
You can loop that fingerpicking pattern throughout the first verse or use it as an intro and outro before switching to strumming.
🎸 Key: G Major
Tempo: Moderato (about 90 bpm)
Time Signature: 3/4 (waltz feel)
🎵 Suggested Strumming Pattern (3/4 time)
Bass–Down–Up or written as:
[B D U] [B D U] [B D U]
Hit the bass note of the chord on beat 1.
Then a down–up strum for beats 2 and 3.
Example:
G → pick 6th string (G), then Down–Up.
D → pick 4th string (D), then Down–Up.
A → pick 5th string (A), then Down–Up.
🪕 Chords Used
G = 320003
D = xx0232
A = x02220
🎶 Lyrics with Chords
Verse 1
D G D
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep, chimney A sweep,
D G D
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep,
G D A
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, and I've robbed both rich and small,
D G D A
And me neck will pay for all when I die, when I die,
D G D
And me neck will pay for all when I die.
Verse 2
D G D
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart, in a cart,
D G D
Oh they took me to Coothill in a cart,
G D A
Oh they took me to Coothill, and I stopped to make my will,
D G D A
And the best of friends must part, so must I, so must I,
D G D
For the best of friends must part, so must I.
Verse 3
D G D
Up the ladder I did go, that’s no joke, that’s no joke,
D G D
Up the ladder I did go, that’s no joke,
G D A
Up the ladder I did go, and the hangman pulled the rope,
D G D A
And ne’er a word I spoke, tumbling down, tumbling down,
D G D
And ne’er a word I spoke tumbling down.
🎸 Fingerpicking Tab (Verse 1)
Simple Travis-style picking (alternating bass + melody highlights).
Use this as an intro or for the first verse.
D G D A
e|---------2-------------2-|---------3-------------3-|---------2-------------2-|---------0-------------0-|
B|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----0-------0-----0-----|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----2-------2-----2-----|
G|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---0---0---0---0---0---0-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|
D|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|
A|--------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|--------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|-3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
D G D A
e|---------2-------------2-|---------3-------------3-|---------2-------------2-|---------0-------------0-|
B|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----0-------0-----0-----|-----3-------3-----3-----|-----2-------2-----2-----|
G|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---0---0---0---0---0---0-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---2---2---2---2-|
D|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|
A|--------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|--------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|
E|--------------------------|-3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
You can loop that fingerpicking pattern throughout the first verse or use it as an intro and outro before switching to strumming.
Sam hall tin whistle letter notes
Here’s a dark and cheeky little gallows ditty about Sam Hall, the chimney sweep with the morals of a magpie and the attitude of a man who’s already accepted he’ll meet his maker with soot on his face and curses on his lips.
☘️ Act 1: Sam the Sweeper, Thief, and Professional Scoundrel. He starts off proudly announcing:
“Me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep!”
But this lad wasn’t just sweeping chimneys --
he was sweeping pockets,
lifting coins,
and generally relieving rich and poor alike of anything not nailed down.
He admits:
“I’ve robbed both rich and small
and me neck will pay for all.”
Which is essentially:
“I’ve been a right boll'''' and I’ll die for it — fair enough!”
At least he’s honest --
now that it no longer matters.
☘️ Act 2: The Final Journey — Not Exactly First–Class. They cart him off to Coothill:
“They took me to Coothill in a cart.”
Not a coach.
Not a carriage.
Not even a donkey.
Just a big old cart --
probably one that previously hauled cabbages.
And Sam — ever practical --
stops to write his will.
Which probably went something like:
☘️ Act 3: The Ladder to Eternity. The poor divil climbs the scaffold:
“Up the ladder I did grope.”
Which is Irish for:
“I climbed it reluctantly and with the grace of a drunk spider.”
The hangman pulls the rope
and Sam doesn’t even bother giving a speech --
no dramatic monologue,
no Shakespearean last words.
He simply:
“ne’er a word I spoke
tumbling down.”
Like a man who thinks:
“Well… that’s that sorted.”
☘️ The Irish Spirit SummaryThis song is:
but you can’t help but respect:
He knows he’s a scamp.
He knows he’s guilty.
He knows he’s doomed.
And he marches up the ladder saying:
“Well lads, it’s been a ride.”
It’s grim, it’s gritty,
and it’s served with a wink
and a shrug --
the very definition of Irish humour in the face of the inevitable.
☘️ Act 1: Sam the Sweeper, Thief, and Professional Scoundrel. He starts off proudly announcing:
“Me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep!”
But this lad wasn’t just sweeping chimneys --
he was sweeping pockets,
lifting coins,
and generally relieving rich and poor alike of anything not nailed down.
He admits:
“I’ve robbed both rich and small
and me neck will pay for all.”
Which is essentially:
“I’ve been a right boll'''' and I’ll die for it — fair enough!”
At least he’s honest --
now that it no longer matters.
☘️ Act 2: The Final Journey — Not Exactly First–Class. They cart him off to Coothill:
“They took me to Coothill in a cart.”
Not a coach.
Not a carriage.
Not even a donkey.
Just a big old cart --
probably one that previously hauled cabbages.
And Sam — ever practical --
stops to write his will.
Which probably went something like:
- “To Mary: one broken pipe
- To my mate Jimmy: one stolen snuffbox
- To the rest of you: nothing but bad memories.”
☘️ Act 3: The Ladder to Eternity. The poor divil climbs the scaffold:
“Up the ladder I did grope.”
Which is Irish for:
“I climbed it reluctantly and with the grace of a drunk spider.”
The hangman pulls the rope
and Sam doesn’t even bother giving a speech --
no dramatic monologue,
no Shakespearean last words.
He simply:
“ne’er a word I spoke
tumbling down.”
Like a man who thinks:
“Well… that’s that sorted.”
☘️ The Irish Spirit SummaryThis song is:
- 40% gallows humour
- 30% criminal confession
- 20% fatalistic acceptance
- 10% wry resignation
but you can’t help but respect:
He knows he’s a scamp.
He knows he’s guilty.
He knows he’s doomed.
And he marches up the ladder saying:
“Well lads, it’s been a ride.”
It’s grim, it’s gritty,
and it’s served with a wink
and a shrug --
the very definition of Irish humour in the face of the inevitable.
Below is the tenor guitar / mandola tab in the tuning of CGDA
Sam Hall Tenor Banjo Chords In The Key Of D Major
Below is the sheet music for Sam Hall in the key of E
