School Days Over lyrics and chords
The tin whistle tab is included .School days over piano notes for beginners now included. Written by singer / songwriter Ewan McColl and recorded by The Dubliners with Luke Kelly doing the singing and by Mary Black. A folksong about working down the coal mines just as a boy finishes his schooling. Included is a basic sheet music. Also included are the tin whistle letter notes. The song was also recorded by Irish singer and songwriter Damien Dempsey, Mary Black along with The Chieftains and Finbar Furey. Recently recorded by ballad group ''The High Kings'' on their album Grace And Glory. in 2019 The Whistlin' Donkeys recorded the song at The Forge Sessions. Back to The Dubliners Songs
School[G7] day's[C] over come on then[Am] John,
[Dm]Time to be[F] getting your pit boots[G] on,
On[C] with your sark and[Am] moleskin[Em] trousers,
[Am]Time you were on your[F] way,
[C]Time you were learning the[Am] pit man's job,
And[Dm] earning the pit man's[G] pay.
[2]
Come on then Jim it's time to go,
Time you were working down below
Time to be handling a pick and shovel,
You start at the pits today,
Time you were learning the collier's job,
And earning the colliers pay.
[3]
Come on then Dai,it's almost light,
Time you were off to the anthracite,
The morning mist is on the vally,
It's time you were on your way,
Time you were learning the miners job
And earning the miners pay
[Dm]Time to be[F] getting your pit boots[G] on,
On[C] with your sark and[Am] moleskin[Em] trousers,
[Am]Time you were on your[F] way,
[C]Time you were learning the[Am] pit man's job,
And[Dm] earning the pit man's[G] pay.
[2]
Come on then Jim it's time to go,
Time you were working down below
Time to be handling a pick and shovel,
You start at the pits today,
Time you were learning the collier's job,
And earning the colliers pay.
[3]
Come on then Dai,it's almost light,
Time you were off to the anthracite,
The morning mist is on the vally,
It's time you were on your way,
Time you were learning the miners job
And earning the miners pay
Mary Black School Days Over Lyrics
Key of D
School[A7] day's[D] over come on then[Bm] John,
[Em]Time to be[G] getting your pit boots[A] on,
On[D] with your sark and[Bm] moleskin[F#m] trousers,
[Bm]Time you were on your[G] way,
[D]Time you were learning the[Bm] pit man's job,
And[Em] earning the pit man's[A]
School[A7] day's[D] over come on then[Bm] John,
[Em]Time to be[G] getting your pit boots[A] on,
On[D] with your sark and[Bm] moleskin[F#m] trousers,
[Bm]Time you were on your[G] way,
[D]Time you were learning the[Bm] pit man's job,
And[Em] earning the pit man's[A]
Dubliner's Version Of The Chords
Intro. chords on banjo as played by Luke Kelly C Bb Am Gm C Gm Am C
[C]Schoolday's[F] over come on then John,
[Gm]Time to be getting your [Bb]pit boots[F] o[C]n,
[F]On with your sark and[Bb] moleskin[F] trousers,
[Bb]Time you were [Am]on your[Gm] way[Bb],
[F]Time you were learning the pit man's job,
And[Gm] earning the pit man's[C] pay[Gm][Am][C][Gm][Am].
Intro. chords on banjo as played by Luke Kelly C Bb Am Gm C Gm Am C
[C]Schoolday's[F] over come on then John,
[Gm]Time to be getting your [Bb]pit boots[F] o[C]n,
[F]On with your sark and[Bb] moleskin[F] trousers,
[Bb]Time you were [Am]on your[Gm] way[Bb],
[F]Time you were learning the pit man's job,
And[Gm] earning the pit man's[C] pay[Gm][Am][C][Gm][Am].
Here are the chords that Luke Kelly plays on his banjo.
Intro banjo chords
C Bb Am Gm C Gm Am C
School[G7] day's[F] over come on then John,
[Gm]Time to be getting your [Bb]pit boots[F] on[C],
[F]On with your sark and[Bb] moleskin[F] trousers,
[Bb]Time you were [Am]on your[Gm] wa[Bb]y,
[F]Time you were learning the[Am] pit man's job,
And[Gm] earning the pit man's[C] pay[Gm][Am][C].
[Gm] [Am]
[Gm]Come on then [F]Jim it's time to [Am]g[F]o,
[Gm]Time you were working [Bb]down be[F]lo[C]w
[F]Time to be handling a [Bb]pick and [Am]shovel,
You [Bb]start at the [Am]pits to[Gm]da[Bb]y,
[C]Time you were learning the [F]collier's job,
And [Gm]earning the colliers [C]pay.
Intro banjo chords
C Bb Am Gm C Gm Am C
School[G7] day's[F] over come on then John,
[Gm]Time to be getting your [Bb]pit boots[F] on[C],
[F]On with your sark and[Bb] moleskin[F] trousers,
[Bb]Time you were [Am]on your[Gm] wa[Bb]y,
[F]Time you were learning the[Am] pit man's job,
And[Gm] earning the pit man's[C] pay[Gm][Am][C].
[Gm] [Am]
[Gm]Come on then [F]Jim it's time to [Am]g[F]o,
[Gm]Time you were working [Bb]down be[F]lo[C]w
[F]Time to be handling a [Bb]pick and [Am]shovel,
You [Bb]start at the [Am]pits to[Gm]da[Bb]y,
[C]Time you were learning the [F]collier's job,
And [Gm]earning the colliers [C]pay.
School days over easy piano notes for beginners
School days over sheet music for tin whistle
The sheet music above is slightly different than the notes below.
If your looking to play along with the Luke Kelly version in the key of C then here's the notes as written out by Jean-Baptiste Meynard below. Jean put the lower notes in lower case letters and the high ones in
CAPITAL LETTERS.
Luke Kelly version :
d e g g a b b b
a b a g e d g g e d
g g a b D E G F E D E D b D E
D E D b a b D b a g a g f e d (d e g g -> at the end)
Noel McLoughlin version :
a b D D E F F F
E F E D b a D D b a
D D E F A B D (high D) C B A B A F A B [or d d e f a b D c b a b a f a b]
A B A F E F A F E D E F E D B A (a b D D -> at the end)
And the following notes are the one's I play.
D E G G A B A B
Schooldays over, come on then John,
A A B A G E G G D
Time to be gettin' your pit boots on
G G A B d e g f# e
On with your sark and moleskin trousers,
d e e d B d e
It's time you were on your way
d d e d B A B d B
Time you were learning the pitman's job
G A A B A E D
And earning the pitman's pay
If your looking to play along with the Luke Kelly version in the key of C then here's the notes as written out by Jean-Baptiste Meynard below. Jean put the lower notes in lower case letters and the high ones in
CAPITAL LETTERS.
Luke Kelly version :
d e g g a b b b
a b a g e d g g e d
g g a b D E G F E D E D b D E
D E D b a b D b a g a g f e d (d e g g -> at the end)
Noel McLoughlin version :
a b D D E F F F
E F E D b a D D b a
D D E F A B D (high D) C B A B A F A B [or d d e f a b D c b a b a f a b]
A B A F E F A F E D E F E D B A (a b D D -> at the end)
And the following notes are the one's I play.
D E G G A B A B
Schooldays over, come on then John,
A A B A G E G G D
Time to be gettin' your pit boots on
G G A B d e g f# e
On with your sark and moleskin trousers,
d e e d B d e
It's time you were on your way
d d e d B A B d B
Time you were learning the pitman's job
G A A B A E D
And earning the pitman's pay
Below is a slightly different version of the sheet music that I made up.
And 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
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50
School Days Over – Ewan MacColl
Writer: Ewan MacColl (1915–1989)
Genre: British / Irish Folk Song
Themes: Childhood, working life, class struggle, coming of age
First released: Late 1950s
Famously recorded by:
The Dubliners
The High Kings
Planxty
Luke Kelly (solo and with The Dubliners)
🧱 Background and Inspiration
“School Days Over” was written by Ewan MacColl, one of the 20th century’s most important folk singers and songwriters.
Born in Salford, England, to Scottish parents, MacColl devoted his career to documenting the lives and struggles of working-class people through song.
This song comes from his “Radio Ballads” project — a groundbreaking BBC documentary series (1957–1964) that combined folk music, interviews, and storytelling to depict the lives of ordinary workers.
“School Days Over” is believed to have been written for The Ballad of John Axon (1958), one of the first Radio Ballads. It was later collected in songbooks and performed widely across Britain and Ireland.
🧒 Theme and Meaning
At its heart, School Days Over is a coming-of-age ballad about a young boy — often named Paddy — who finishes his education and is sent straight into the harsh world of manual labor.
The tone is simple but deeply emotional. The song captures the moment when childhood ends, and adult responsibility begins — not with celebration, but with the resignation of necessity.
It’s often interpreted as a commentary on the loss of innocence, and the exploitation of young working-class men who had little choice but to enter the mines, factories, or shipyards after school.
⚒️ Analysis
Each verse of School Days Over calls a different young man — John, Jim, and Dai — common names in the coal-mining regions of England and Wales.
The song is cyclical and repetitive, mirroring the monotony and inevitability of working life.
The tone is gentle yet somber, with MacColl’s compassionate voice conveying both pride and sadness.
There’s no overt anger — only realism and empathy for the boys who grow up too soon.
It’s also a powerful piece of social commentary, showing how poverty and industry shaped lives, and how childhood quickly gave way to adult labor in industrial Britain.
🎤 Famous Recordings
Ewan MacColl – The original, sparse and unadorned, with his clear diction and storytelling voice.
The Dubliners – Gave the song a fuller, Irish-folk feel; Luke Kelly’s deep, expressive voice brought new intensity.
Christy Moore – His live performances capture the emotional heart of the song, mixing nostalgia and political awareness.
The High Kings – A modern version with harmonies that introduce the song to new generations.
🌍 Legacy and Cultural Impact
“School Days Over” has become a standard in Irish and British folk circles, often sung in pubs, folk clubs, and at festivals.
It resonates strongly with audiences who connect with themes of hard work, family duty, and lost youth.
Its universality has made it a working-class anthem, comparable in tone and empathy to songs like Dirty Old Town (also by MacColl) and The Shoals of Herring.
