Sliabh Gallion Brae Irish lyrics and chords
[ Slieve Gallen Brae ]A traditional song, the video is of singer Gemma Hasson, a beautiful version of this old classic song. The tin whistle sheet music notes are included and can be played on the flute or accordion. It was also recorded by Delores Keane, who is famous for singing My Own Dear Galway Bay [ lyrics ] with John Falkner, Johnny McEvoy and Makem And Clancy. Piano chords included.
This song is basically James McGarvey standing on Sliabh Gallen’s Brae doing his best dramatic farewell pose like he’s auditioning for an RTÉ period drama:
“Look at me, lads --
tragically poetic, tragically broke.”
He’s wandering the hills in May, thinking deep thoughts about flowers dying --
which is grand and all --
but the real problem isn’t horticulture…
…it’s the landlord coming for the rent.
He introduces himself like a fella at an AA meeting:
“My name is James McGarvey
I own a bit of land
and I’m completely skint.”
The poor lad’s rents are climbing faster than a fella escaping the pub when it’s his round to buy.
So he must pack up and leave --
not because he wants “excitement abroad,”
but because paying Irish rent has always been harder than milking a bull.
He reminisces about the glory days:
wandering the mountains with gun and dog,
living the rural version of the high life:
shooting at rabbits,
singing to the heather,
and generally annoying the wildlife.
Now those carefree days are over --
the landlord wants his coin,
and the dog probably bit him on the way out.
Then he hits the punch line:
It’s not that Irish lads want to leave --
it’s that staying costs more than emigrating.
You could nearly hear the entire island sigh in agreement.
Finally, he bids farewell sweetly to:
Except in this case, the romance is between him and the land…
…while the landlord just saw him as a walking rent payment.
In short:
This song is the tale of a Donegal farmer,
forced to exile not by ambition
but by rent that’d choke a donkey --
bidding farewell to his beloved hills
with the poetic melancholy of a man
who definitely cried into his pint before boarding the boat.
And sure isn’t that half the history of Ireland right there?
“Look at me, lads --
tragically poetic, tragically broke.”
He’s wandering the hills in May, thinking deep thoughts about flowers dying --
which is grand and all --
but the real problem isn’t horticulture…
…it’s the landlord coming for the rent.
He introduces himself like a fella at an AA meeting:
“My name is James McGarvey
I own a bit of land
and I’m completely skint.”
The poor lad’s rents are climbing faster than a fella escaping the pub when it’s his round to buy.
So he must pack up and leave --
not because he wants “excitement abroad,”
but because paying Irish rent has always been harder than milking a bull.
He reminisces about the glory days:
wandering the mountains with gun and dog,
living the rural version of the high life:
shooting at rabbits,
singing to the heather,
and generally annoying the wildlife.
Now those carefree days are over --
the landlord wants his coin,
and the dog probably bit him on the way out.
Then he hits the punch line:
It’s not that Irish lads want to leave --
it’s that staying costs more than emigrating.
You could nearly hear the entire island sigh in agreement.
Finally, he bids farewell sweetly to:
- Old Ireland (the mammy)
- Lissan (the home parish)
- Ballinascreen (the neighbour)
- Sliabh Gallen’s Brae (the childhood sweetheart)
Except in this case, the romance is between him and the land…
…while the landlord just saw him as a walking rent payment.
In short:
This song is the tale of a Donegal farmer,
forced to exile not by ambition
but by rent that’d choke a donkey --
bidding farewell to his beloved hills
with the poetic melancholy of a man
who definitely cried into his pint before boarding the boat.
And sure isn’t that half the history of Ireland right there?
Sliabh Gallion Brae Song Words And Chords In C Major
[C]As I went a-[Bb]walking one[Dm] morn[F]ing in[C] May,
To[Am] view yonder val[G]leys and mountains so[C] gay,
I was[Bb] thinking of[F] yon flowers soon a-[C]going to de[Am]cay,
That grow a[G]round you,[C] bonny,[Dm] bonny Sliabh[G] Gallen's [C]Brae.
My name is James McGarvey and I'd havve you understand,
I come from Derrygennard and I own a farm of land;
But my rents are getting higher, and I can no longer pay,
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae.
Oft o'er these mountains with my dog and my gun,
I wandered these mountains for pastime and for fun,
But those days they are all over, and I must go away;
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae.
It's not for the want of employment at home,
That causes the sons of Old Ireland to roam,
But our rents are getting higher, and the rates we cannot pay;
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae [ lyrics ].
Farewell to Old Ireland , that island so green,
To the parish of Lissan and the cross of Ballinascreen,
May good fortune shine upon you while I am far away,
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae
[C]As I went a-[Bb]walking one[Dm] morn[F]ing in[C] May,
To[Am] view yonder val[G]leys and mountains so[C] gay,
I was[Bb] thinking of[F] yon flowers soon a-[C]going to de[Am]cay,
That grow a[G]round you,[C] bonny,[Dm] bonny Sliabh[G] Gallen's [C]Brae.
My name is James McGarvey and I'd havve you understand,
I come from Derrygennard and I own a farm of land;
But my rents are getting higher, and I can no longer pay,
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae.
Oft o'er these mountains with my dog and my gun,
I wandered these mountains for pastime and for fun,
But those days they are all over, and I must go away;
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae.
It's not for the want of employment at home,
That causes the sons of Old Ireland to roam,
But our rents are getting higher, and the rates we cannot pay;
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae [ lyrics ].
Farewell to Old Ireland , that island so green,
To the parish of Lissan and the cross of Ballinascreen,
May good fortune shine upon you while I am far away,
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallen's Brae
Chords in the key of G
“Sliabh Gallen’s Brae” fully arranged in G major, with chords, a strumming pattern, and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse.
🎸 Key: G Major
Tempo: Moderate (about 100 BPM)
Time Signature: 3/4 (waltz feel)
🎶 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Waltz Feel)
Pattern:
↓ (bass) – ↓↑ – ↓↑
(Count: 1 2-and 3-and)
You can alternate the bass note between root and fifth for a fuller sound:
Example in G:
1 (G bass) – 2 (full chord) – 3 (full chord)
1 (D bass) – 2 (full chord) – 3 (full chord)
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern (for the first verse)
Use Travis-style alternating bass:
Pattern per measure (3/4 time):
Bass (thumb) – 3rd string – Bass (fifth) – 2nd string – Bass (root) – 1st string
Or more simply: P – i – P – m – P – a (thumb, index, middle, ring)
🪶 Chord Shapes
Chord Shape Notes
G 320003 Root
C x32010 IV
D xx0232 V
Em 022000 vi
Am x02210 ii
🎵 “Sliabh Gallen’s Brae” – in G Major
Verse 1 (with fingerpicking / chords)
[G]As I went a-[F]walking one[Am] morn[C]ing in[G] May,
To[Em] view yonder val[D]leys and mountains so[G] gay,
I was[F] thinking of[C] yon flowers soon a-[G]going to de[Em]cay,
That grow a[D]round you,[G] bonny,[Am] bonny Sliabh[D] Gallen's [G]Brae.
Fingerpicking Tab (first verse):
G F Am C G
e|-------3-----------3-|-------1-----------1-|-------0-----------0-|-------0-----------0-|-------3-----------3-|
B|-----0---0-------0---|-----1---1-------1---|-----1---1-------1---|-----1---1-------1---|-----0---0-------0---|
G|---0-------0---0-----|---2-------2---2-----|---2-------2---2-----|---0-------0---0-----|---0-------0---0-----|
D|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
A|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
E|-3-----------3-------|-1-----------1-------|---------------------|---------------------|-3-----------3-------|
(Continue this picking feel throughout the verse.)
Verse 2
[G]My name is James [C]McGarvey and I'd [Am]have you under[G]stand,
I [C]come from Der[D]rygennard and I [Em]own a farm of [G]land;
But my [C]rents are getting [G]higher, and I [Am]can no longer [Em]pay,
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Verse 3
[G]Oft o’er these [C]mountains with my [Am]dog and my [G]gun,
I [C]wandered these [D]mountains for [Em]pastime and for [G]fun,
But those [C]days they are all [G]over, and I [Am]must go a[Em]way;
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Verse 4
[G]It's not for the [C]want of em[Am]ployment at [G]home,
That [C]causes the [D]sons of Old [Em]Ireland to [G]roam,
But our [C]rents are getting [G]higher, and the [Am]rates we cannot [Em]pay;
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Verse 5
[G]Farewell to Old [C]Ireland, that [Am]island so [G]green,
To the [C]parish of [D]Lissan and the [Em]cross of Ballina[G]screen,
May good [C]fortune shine [G]upon you while I’m [Am]far a[Em]way,
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
“Sliabh Gallen’s Brae” fully arranged in G major, with chords, a strumming pattern, and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse.
🎸 Key: G Major
Tempo: Moderate (about 100 BPM)
Time Signature: 3/4 (waltz feel)
🎶 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Waltz Feel)
Pattern:
↓ (bass) – ↓↑ – ↓↑
(Count: 1 2-and 3-and)
You can alternate the bass note between root and fifth for a fuller sound:
Example in G:
1 (G bass) – 2 (full chord) – 3 (full chord)
1 (D bass) – 2 (full chord) – 3 (full chord)
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern (for the first verse)
Use Travis-style alternating bass:
Pattern per measure (3/4 time):
Bass (thumb) – 3rd string – Bass (fifth) – 2nd string – Bass (root) – 1st string
Or more simply: P – i – P – m – P – a (thumb, index, middle, ring)
🪶 Chord Shapes
Chord Shape Notes
G 320003 Root
C x32010 IV
D xx0232 V
Em 022000 vi
Am x02210 ii
🎵 “Sliabh Gallen’s Brae” – in G Major
Verse 1 (with fingerpicking / chords)
[G]As I went a-[F]walking one[Am] morn[C]ing in[G] May,
To[Em] view yonder val[D]leys and mountains so[G] gay,
I was[F] thinking of[C] yon flowers soon a-[G]going to de[Em]cay,
That grow a[D]round you,[G] bonny,[Am] bonny Sliabh[D] Gallen's [G]Brae.
Fingerpicking Tab (first verse):
G F Am C G
e|-------3-----------3-|-------1-----------1-|-------0-----------0-|-------0-----------0-|-------3-----------3-|
B|-----0---0-------0---|-----1---1-------1---|-----1---1-------1---|-----1---1-------1---|-----0---0-------0---|
G|---0-------0---0-----|---2-------2---2-----|---2-------2---2-----|---0-------0---0-----|---0-------0---0-----|
D|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
A|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
E|-3-----------3-------|-1-----------1-------|---------------------|---------------------|-3-----------3-------|
(Continue this picking feel throughout the verse.)
Verse 2
[G]My name is James [C]McGarvey and I'd [Am]have you under[G]stand,
I [C]come from Der[D]rygennard and I [Em]own a farm of [G]land;
But my [C]rents are getting [G]higher, and I [Am]can no longer [Em]pay,
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Verse 3
[G]Oft o’er these [C]mountains with my [Am]dog and my [G]gun,
I [C]wandered these [D]mountains for [Em]pastime and for [G]fun,
But those [C]days they are all [G]over, and I [Am]must go a[Em]way;
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Verse 4
[G]It's not for the [C]want of em[Am]ployment at [G]home,
That [C]causes the [D]sons of Old [Em]Ireland to [G]roam,
But our [C]rents are getting [G]higher, and the [Am]rates we cannot [Em]pay;
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Verse 5
[G]Farewell to Old [C]Ireland, that [Am]island so [G]green,
To the [C]parish of [D]Lissan and the [Em]cross of Ballina[G]screen,
May good [C]fortune shine [G]upon you while I’m [Am]far a[Em]way,
So fare[D]well unto you [G]bonny, bonny [Am]Sliabh [D]Gallen's [G]Brae.
Sliamh Gallon Brae sheet music / flute / accordion score
