Seven Drunken Nights The Dubliners lyrics chords
Seven drunken nights tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA now included. A song about getting drunk every night of the week. Including the sheet music notes. The last couple of verses were a bit 'bawdy for the time It was banned by the B.B.C. so The Dubliners [ songs ] could only sing the first five nights, The sheet music notes are included in the key of A Major. Also recorded by Seamus Kennedy Celtic Thunder, The Tossers and by Flogging Molly. Ronnie Drew sings this song in the key of A Major. Irish country singer Mike Denver also recorded the song, but in an upbeat tempo using drums.
Ah now — this rollicking beast of a song is the crown jewel of Irish marital mischief, soaked in porter and brazen cheek. It’s the tale of a husband who’s so drunk each night that he could confuse a farmyard for a parliament — and a wife who’s so quick-witted she could talk her way past Saint Peter himself.
Every night of the week, our hero staggers home as drunk as a bishop at Christmas. And every night he finds some very suspicious object where his own belonging should be — a horse, a coat, a pipe, a pair of boots, and so on — all clearly belonging to another lad enjoying a bit of hospitality while he’s stumbling home late.
And every night, he confronts the wife:
“Would you kindly tell to me…?”
And every night, she gives him an excuse more outrageous than the last — with the straight-faced confidence of a politician on voting day.
The pattern is pure comic gold:
“Well it’s many a day I travelled, a hundred miles or more --
but a saddle on a sow / buttons on a blanket / tobacco in a tin whistle
I never saw before!”
By Sunday, the poor fella’s seen enough… and still believes less than a tax inspector. But sure, by then he’s too drunk to argue and too Irish to stop asking.
It’s a grand mixture of:
As we’d say in Ireland:
He’s not just drunk — he’s traditionally drunk.
And she’s not just clever — she’s County-Clever.**
It’s filthy in concept, but cheeky in execution — the sort of song you’d sing at a wedding after midnight, when the instruments are out of tune and the uncles are too far gone to be offended.
Every night of the week, our hero staggers home as drunk as a bishop at Christmas. And every night he finds some very suspicious object where his own belonging should be — a horse, a coat, a pipe, a pair of boots, and so on — all clearly belonging to another lad enjoying a bit of hospitality while he’s stumbling home late.
And every night, he confronts the wife:
“Would you kindly tell to me…?”
And every night, she gives him an excuse more outrageous than the last — with the straight-faced confidence of a politician on voting day.
The pattern is pure comic gold:
- He sees a horse → she says it’s a sow.
- He sees a coat → she says it’s a blanket.
- He sees a pipe → she says it’s a tin whistle.
- He sees boots → she says they’re geranium pots.
- He sees a head in the bed → she says it’s the baby.
- He sees… other things → she offers even more fanciful explanations.
“Well it’s many a day I travelled, a hundred miles or more --
but a saddle on a sow / buttons on a blanket / tobacco in a tin whistle
I never saw before!”
By Sunday, the poor fella’s seen enough… and still believes less than a tax inspector. But sure, by then he’s too drunk to argue and too Irish to stop asking.
It’s a grand mixture of:
- playful jealousy
- drunken innocence
- razor-sharp female improvisation
- and the glorious Irish ability to deny reality while still laughing at it.
As we’d say in Ireland:
He’s not just drunk — he’s traditionally drunk.
And she’s not just clever — she’s County-Clever.**
It’s filthy in concept, but cheeky in execution — the sort of song you’d sing at a wedding after midnight, when the instruments are out of tune and the uncles are too far gone to be offended.
As[G] I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I[C] saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be,
Well I[G] called me wife and said to her,will you[C] kindly tell to me,
Who[G] owns that horse outside the door where[D] my old horse should[G] be,
Ha[G] your drunk,your drunk you silly old fool,still you cannot see,
That's a lovey sow that me[D] mother sent to[G] me,
Well[G] its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But a saddle on a sow I[D] never saw before.
[2]
And as I went home on tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be,
'Ha your drunk you silly old fool,and still you cannot see,
Thats the wollen blanket that me mother sent to me,
'Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But buttons on a blanket sure I never saw before.
[3]
And as I came home on a Wednesday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a pipe upon the chair,where my old pipe should be,
'Well I called me wife and said to her would you kindle tell to me,
Who owns that pipe upon the chair where my old pipe should be,
'Ha your drunk you silly old fool,and still you cannot see,
Thats a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me,
'Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before.
[4]
And as I went home on a Thursday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be,
'Ha your drunk you sill old fool still you cannot see,
Thats two lovely geranium pots me mother gave to me,
'Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But laces on a geranium pot sure I never saw before,
[5]
And as I went home on a Friday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a head upon the bed where my old head should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that head upon the bed where my old head should be,
'Ha your drunk you silly old fool and still you cannot see,
Thats a baby boy that me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But a baby boy with whiskers sure I never saw before.
[6]
As I went home on Saturday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw two hands upon her breasts where my old hands should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns them hands upon you breasts where my old hands should be,
Ah your drunk you silly old fool and still you cannot see,
Thats a lovely night gown me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But fingers on a night gownh I never saw before.
[7]
As I went home on a Sunday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a thing in her thing where ny old thing should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that thing in your thing where my old thing should be,
'Ah your drunk you silly old fool and still you cannot see,
Thats a lovely tin whistle me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But hair on a tin whistle sure I never saw before.
I[C] saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be,
Well I[G] called me wife and said to her,will you[C] kindly tell to me,
Who[G] owns that horse outside the door where[D] my old horse should[G] be,
Ha[G] your drunk,your drunk you silly old fool,still you cannot see,
That's a lovey sow that me[D] mother sent to[G] me,
Well[G] its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But a saddle on a sow I[D] never saw before.
[2]
And as I went home on tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be,
'Ha your drunk you silly old fool,and still you cannot see,
Thats the wollen blanket that me mother sent to me,
'Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But buttons on a blanket sure I never saw before.
[3]
And as I came home on a Wednesday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a pipe upon the chair,where my old pipe should be,
'Well I called me wife and said to her would you kindle tell to me,
Who owns that pipe upon the chair where my old pipe should be,
'Ha your drunk you silly old fool,and still you cannot see,
Thats a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me,
'Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before.
[4]
And as I went home on a Thursday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be,
'Ha your drunk you sill old fool still you cannot see,
Thats two lovely geranium pots me mother gave to me,
'Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But laces on a geranium pot sure I never saw before,
[5]
And as I went home on a Friday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a head upon the bed where my old head should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that head upon the bed where my old head should be,
'Ha your drunk you silly old fool and still you cannot see,
Thats a baby boy that me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But a baby boy with whiskers sure I never saw before.
[6]
As I went home on Saturday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw two hands upon her breasts where my old hands should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns them hands upon you breasts where my old hands should be,
Ah your drunk you silly old fool and still you cannot see,
Thats a lovely night gown me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But fingers on a night gownh I never saw before.
[7]
As I went home on a Sunday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a thing in her thing where ny old thing should be,
Well I called me wife and said to her will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that thing in your thing where my old thing should be,
'Ah your drunk you silly old fool and still you cannot see,
Thats a lovely tin whistle me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I travelled,a hundred miles or more,
But hair on a tin whistle sure I never saw before.
The guitar tab in pdf has the chords and is in standard tuning
| seven_drunken_nights_guitar_tab_with_chords.pdf |
Seven drunken nights tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA
The Dubliners only wanted to get across the fact that Irish music was still alive, that the music had never died. I England and America they had a folk revival but I Ireland it was there all the time and we didn't need to revive the music. There was a certain amount of fanaticism about it and the music was regarded as sacred. That attitude divorced a lot of young people from being interested in the Irish folk music, I think The Dubliners helped to take it out of that. We didn't set out to do that, but the fact that we were enjoying playing it so much transferred itself. We proved you don't have to be an academic to enjoy Irish music. Ronnie Drew -Folk Roots 1993
This is the original version of the song.
By John Reilly From Boyle County
Roscommon.
As I came home on a Monday night as drunk
as drunk could be,
I say a pony in the stall where my oul'
horse should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that pony in the stall where my
oul horse should be.
You're drunk you fool, you sill old fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's the suckin' pig me mother sent
to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But a saddle on a pig I've never seen
before.
As I came home on a Tuesday night, as
drunk, as drunk could be,
I say a coat behind the door where my oul
coat should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me.
Who owns that coat behind the door whee my
oul coat should be,
Ah, your drunk you fool, you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's the lovely blanket, me mother
gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But sleeves in a blanket I've never seen
before.
As I came home on a Wednesday night, as
drunk as drunk could be,
I say a stick beside the fire, where my
oul stick should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that stick beside the fire where
my oul stick should be,,
You're drunk you fool you silly old fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's only an oul pot stick me
mother gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But a silver mounted pot stick I never
seen before.
As I came home on a Thursday night, as
drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a pipe beside the bed where my oul
pipe should be,
Well I called my wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that pipe beside the bed where my
oul pipe should be,
Ah your drunk you fool, you sill old fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's a small tin whistle that me
mother gave to me.
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But tobacco in a tin whistle I never seen
before.
As I came home on a Friday night, as drunk
as drunk could be,
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my
oul boots should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns those boots beneath the bed where
my oul boots should be,
Ah your drunk you fool, you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure they're the two geranium pots me
mother gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But laces in geranium pots I've never seen
before.
As I came home on a Saturday night as
drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a head upon the bed where my oul
head should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that head upon the bed where my
oul head should be,
Ah you're drunk you fool, you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's the baby boy that me mother
gave to me.
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But a baby boy with his whiskers on I've
never seen before.
As I came home on a Sunday night, as drunk
as drunk could be,
I saw a shirt beside the bed, where my oul
shirt should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that shirt beside the bed where
my old shirt should be,
Ah you're drunk, you fool you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure they're the heavy bloomers that me
mother gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But cuff links on a bloomer's I never say
before.
By John Reilly From Boyle County
Roscommon.
As I came home on a Monday night as drunk
as drunk could be,
I say a pony in the stall where my oul'
horse should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that pony in the stall where my
oul horse should be.
You're drunk you fool, you sill old fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's the suckin' pig me mother sent
to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But a saddle on a pig I've never seen
before.
As I came home on a Tuesday night, as
drunk, as drunk could be,
I say a coat behind the door where my oul
coat should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me.
Who owns that coat behind the door whee my
oul coat should be,
Ah, your drunk you fool, you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's the lovely blanket, me mother
gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But sleeves in a blanket I've never seen
before.
As I came home on a Wednesday night, as
drunk as drunk could be,
I say a stick beside the fire, where my
oul stick should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that stick beside the fire where
my oul stick should be,,
You're drunk you fool you silly old fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's only an oul pot stick me
mother gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But a silver mounted pot stick I never
seen before.
As I came home on a Thursday night, as
drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a pipe beside the bed where my oul
pipe should be,
Well I called my wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that pipe beside the bed where my
oul pipe should be,
Ah your drunk you fool, you sill old fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's a small tin whistle that me
mother gave to me.
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But tobacco in a tin whistle I never seen
before.
As I came home on a Friday night, as drunk
as drunk could be,
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my
oul boots should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns those boots beneath the bed where
my oul boots should be,
Ah your drunk you fool, you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure they're the two geranium pots me
mother gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But laces in geranium pots I've never seen
before.
As I came home on a Saturday night as
drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a head upon the bed where my oul
head should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that head upon the bed where my
oul head should be,
Ah you're drunk you fool, you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure that's the baby boy that me mother
gave to me.
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But a baby boy with his whiskers on I've
never seen before.
As I came home on a Sunday night, as drunk
as drunk could be,
I saw a shirt beside the bed, where my oul
shirt should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
you're very untrue to me,
Who owns that shirt beside the bed where
my old shirt should be,
Ah you're drunk, you fool you silly old
fool,
And now you cannot see,
Sure they're the heavy bloomers that me
mother gave to me,
The miles I have traveled, a hundred
miles or more,
But cuff links on a bloomer's I never say
before.
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
here’s a full account of one of Ireland’s most beloved, humorous, and enduring folk songs: “Seven Drunken Nights.”
🍀 Seven Drunken Nights
Type: Irish drinking song / comic ballad
Traditional origins: Irish folk tradition (related to an older English/Scottish ballad)
Popularized by: The Dubliners (recorded 1967)
Style: Comic narrative ballad
Themes: Drinking, infidelity, and self-deception
🎶 Origins and History
“Seven Drunken Nights” is a traditional Irish folk song derived from an older Anglo-Scottish ballad titled “Our Goodman” (also known as The Merry Cuckold and the Kind Wife).
Versions of this story date back to the 17th century, appearing in Scotland, Ireland, and even America under different names.
The song follows a comedic pattern, recounting the misadventures of a husband who comes home drunk each night and notices signs of another man in his house, only for his quick-witted wife to offer increasingly absurd explanations — which he drunkenly accepts.
The Irish version became particularly popular thanks to The Dubliners, who recorded it in 1967 with Ronnie Drew on lead vocals. Their version reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, a rare achievement for a traditional Irish ballad, and it brought the song to international attention.
🍻 Story Summary
Each verse represents a night of the week, with the drunk husband coming home and noticing something unusual:
Night 1: He sees a horse outside the door.
→ His wife insists it’s a “lovely sow.”
Night 2: He sees a coat behind the door.
→ “It’s only my blanket, love.”
Night 3: He sees a hat upon the rack.
→ “It’s just my nightcap, dear.”
Night 4: He sees boots by the bed.
→ “They’re just my mother’s shoes.”
Night 5: He sees a man’s head in bed.
→ “It’s just a baby.”
Night 6: He sees a man in bed with her.
→ “That’s just the milkman.”
Night 7: (Often omitted in public performances for being risqué) — the excuses fail completely!
🍀 Seven Drunken Nights
Type: Irish drinking song / comic ballad
Traditional origins: Irish folk tradition (related to an older English/Scottish ballad)
Popularized by: The Dubliners (recorded 1967)
Style: Comic narrative ballad
Themes: Drinking, infidelity, and self-deception
🎶 Origins and History
“Seven Drunken Nights” is a traditional Irish folk song derived from an older Anglo-Scottish ballad titled “Our Goodman” (also known as The Merry Cuckold and the Kind Wife).
Versions of this story date back to the 17th century, appearing in Scotland, Ireland, and even America under different names.
The song follows a comedic pattern, recounting the misadventures of a husband who comes home drunk each night and notices signs of another man in his house, only for his quick-witted wife to offer increasingly absurd explanations — which he drunkenly accepts.
The Irish version became particularly popular thanks to The Dubliners, who recorded it in 1967 with Ronnie Drew on lead vocals. Their version reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, a rare achievement for a traditional Irish ballad, and it brought the song to international attention.
🍻 Story Summary
Each verse represents a night of the week, with the drunk husband coming home and noticing something unusual:
Night 1: He sees a horse outside the door.
→ His wife insists it’s a “lovely sow.”
Night 2: He sees a coat behind the door.
→ “It’s only my blanket, love.”
Night 3: He sees a hat upon the rack.
→ “It’s just my nightcap, dear.”
Night 4: He sees boots by the bed.
→ “They’re just my mother’s shoes.”
Night 5: He sees a man’s head in bed.
→ “It’s just a baby.”
Night 6: He sees a man in bed with her.
→ “That’s just the milkman.”
Night 7: (Often omitted in public performances for being risqué) — the excuses fail completely!
