The Butcher Boy lyrics and chords
The Butcher Boys Song Lyrics And Easy Guitar Chords. Irish Folk song- A traditional song brought back by The Ludlows. The ukulele chords for the key of G Major are included. A tragic story about lost love that leads to suicide. This song was also recorded Sinéad O'Connor who's better known for recording pop songs but has recorded a raft of old ballads including the old rebel song The Foggy Dew. Tommy Makem , Maureen Hegarty, Mary Wallopers also covered this song. I think this song may have originally come from England. I have seen several version of the song and the lyrics vary depending on who is singing the song. The guitar ukulele chords are in the key of D. The second version of the chords in A was sent to me by Steve , aka Australia.The Ludlows recorded many a song back in the 1960's and The Sea Around Us Song is one of their finest , which was written by Dublin ballad singer and songwriter Dominic Behan.The guitar chords are for the keys of D and another version in G Major.
In[D] Moore[A] street where I was[D] born,
A butcher[G] boy[A] I loved right[D] well,
He courted me my[A] life away,
And[A7] now with me he will not[D] stay,
[2]
I wish my baby it was born,
And smiling on its daddy's knee,
And my poor body to be dead and gone,
With the long green grass growing over me.
[3]
He went upstairs and the door he broke,
And found her hanging by a rope,
He took his knife and he cut her down,
And in her pocket these words he found.
[4]
Oh make my grave large wide and deep,
Put a marble stone at my head and feet,
And in the middle a turtle dove,
So the world may know,I died for love.
Key: D Major
Tempo: Slow (Ballad, ~70 BPM)
Time Signature: 3/4 (Waltz time — “one-two-three, one-two-three”)
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Waltz Feel):
Down – Down-Up – Down-Up
Or more simply:
Bass – Down-Up – Down-Up
You can lightly emphasize the first beat of each bar for that lilting Irish ballad rhythm.
Verse 1
In [D]Moore [A]Street where I was [D]born,
A butcher [G]boy [A]I loved right [D]well,
He courted me my [A]life away,
And [A7]now with me he will not [D]stay.
Verse 2
I [D]wish my [A]baby it was [D]born,
And smiling [G]on its [A]daddy's [D]knee,
And my poor body to be [A]dead and gone,
With the [A7]long green grass growing over [D]me.
Verse 3
He [D]went up[A]stairs and the door he [D]broke,
And found her [G]hanging [A]by a [D]rope,
He took his knife and he [A]cut her down,
And in her [A7]pocket these words he [D]found.
Verse 4
Oh [D]make my [A]grave large, wide, and [D]deep,
Put a marble [G]stone at [A]my head and [D]feet,
And in the middle a [A]turtle dove,
So the [A7]world may know, I died for [D]love.
🎸 Optional Ending / Outro
Slowly strum a D chord once,
then softly pick this to close:
e|--2--0--------------|
B|--3--2--3--2--0-----|
G|--2-----------------|
D|--0-----------------|
A|--------------------|
E|--------------------|
→ Let the final note ring — like the fading echo of the story.
Tempo: Slow (Ballad, ~70 BPM)
Time Signature: 3/4 (Waltz time — “one-two-three, one-two-three”)
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Waltz Feel):
Down – Down-Up – Down-Up
Or more simply:
Bass – Down-Up – Down-Up
You can lightly emphasize the first beat of each bar for that lilting Irish ballad rhythm.
Verse 1
In [D]Moore [A]Street where I was [D]born,
A butcher [G]boy [A]I loved right [D]well,
He courted me my [A]life away,
And [A7]now with me he will not [D]stay.
Verse 2
I [D]wish my [A]baby it was [D]born,
And smiling [G]on its [A]daddy's [D]knee,
And my poor body to be [A]dead and gone,
With the [A7]long green grass growing over [D]me.
Verse 3
He [D]went up[A]stairs and the door he [D]broke,
And found her [G]hanging [A]by a [D]rope,
He took his knife and he [A]cut her down,
And in her [A7]pocket these words he [D]found.
Verse 4
Oh [D]make my [A]grave large, wide, and [D]deep,
Put a marble [G]stone at [A]my head and [D]feet,
And in the middle a [A]turtle dove,
So the [A7]world may know, I died for [D]love.
🎸 Optional Ending / Outro
Slowly strum a D chord once,
then softly pick this to close:
e|--2--0--------------|
B|--3--2--3--2--0-----|
G|--2-----------------|
D|--0-----------------|
A|--------------------|
E|--------------------|
→ Let the final note ring — like the fading echo of the story.
Key: G Major version
Tempo: Slow (Irish Ballad ~70 BPM)
Time Signature: 3/4 (Waltz time)
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 time)
Down – Down-Up – Down-Up
or for a gentler touch:
Bass note – Down-Up – Down-Up
(Emphasize the first beat of each bar for that Irish waltz feel.)
Verse 1
In [G]Moore [D]Street where I was [G]born,
A butcher [C]boy [D]I loved right [G]well,
He courted me my [D]life away,
And [D7]now with me he will not [G]stay.
Verse 2
I [G]wish my [D]baby it was [G]born,
And smiling [C]on its [D]daddy's [G]knee,
And my poor body to be [D]dead and gone,
With the [D7]long green grass growing over [G]me.
Verse 3
He [G]went up[D]stairs and the door he [G]broke,
And found her [C]hanging [D]by a [G]rope,
He took his knife and he [D]cut her down,
And in her [D7]pocket these words he [G]found.
Verse 4
Oh [G]make my [D]grave large, wide, and [G]deep,
Put a marble [C]stone at [D]my head and [G]feet,
And in the middle a [D]turtle dove,
So the [D7]world may know, I died for [G]love.
🎵 “Moore Street (The Butcher Boy)”
Includes:
✅ Lyrics above the tab
✅ 3 bars per line
✅ Fingerpicking + strumming pattern
✅ 4/4 slow Irish ballad tempo (~70 BPM)
🎶 Moore Street (The Butcher Boy)Key: G | Tempo: ♩ = 70 | Time: 4/4 | Style: Slow Folk Ballad
🎸 Strumming Pattern (4/4)
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
1 2 & & 4 &
Soft brush — think of a gentle heartbeat.
Thumb on beats 1 & 3, light down-up on 2 & 4.
Fingerpicking pattern: T – I – M – I (Thumb–Index–Middle–Index)
🌹 Verse 1
In [G]Moore [D]Street where I was [G]born,
A butcher [C]boy [D]I loved right [G]well,
e|-------3-----------2-----------3-----------0-----------2-----------3----|
B|-----0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------1---1-------3---3-------0---0--|
G|---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------2-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--2------------------------3------------------------0--------------------|
E|--3------------------------------------------------3--------------------|
G D G C D G
He courted me my [D]life away,
And [D7]now with me he will not [G]stay.
l
e|-------2-----------1-----------3-----------1-----------3-----------3----|
B|-----3---3-------1---1-------0---0-------1---1-------0---0-------0---0--|
G|---2-------2---2-------2---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--------------0------------------------0------------------------2--------|
E|-------------------------------------2------------------------3---------|
D D7 G D7 G
🌿 Verse 2
I [G]wish my [D]baby it was [G]born,
And smiling [C]on its [D]daddy's [G]knee,
e|-------3-----------2-----------3-----------0-----------2-----------3----|
B|-----0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------1---1-------3---3-------0---0--|
G|---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------2-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--2------------------------3------------------------0--------------------|
E|--3------------------------------------------------3--------------------|
G D G C D G
And my poor body to be [D]dead and gone,
With the [D7]long green grass growing over [G]me.
lua
Copy code
e|-------2-----------1-----------3-----------1-----------3-----------3----|
B|-----3---3-------1---1-------0---0-------1---1-------0---0-------0---0--|
G|---2-------2---2-------2---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--------------0------------------------0------------------------2--------|
E|-------------------------------------2------------------------3---------|
D D7 G D7 G
🎵 Chord Reference
G 320003
D xx0232
D7 xx0212
C x32010
Tempo: Slow (Irish Ballad ~70 BPM)
Time Signature: 3/4 (Waltz time)
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 time)
Down – Down-Up – Down-Up
or for a gentler touch:
Bass note – Down-Up – Down-Up
(Emphasize the first beat of each bar for that Irish waltz feel.)
Verse 1
In [G]Moore [D]Street where I was [G]born,
A butcher [C]boy [D]I loved right [G]well,
He courted me my [D]life away,
And [D7]now with me he will not [G]stay.
Verse 2
I [G]wish my [D]baby it was [G]born,
And smiling [C]on its [D]daddy's [G]knee,
And my poor body to be [D]dead and gone,
With the [D7]long green grass growing over [G]me.
Verse 3
He [G]went up[D]stairs and the door he [G]broke,
And found her [C]hanging [D]by a [G]rope,
He took his knife and he [D]cut her down,
And in her [D7]pocket these words he [G]found.
Verse 4
Oh [G]make my [D]grave large, wide, and [G]deep,
Put a marble [C]stone at [D]my head and [G]feet,
And in the middle a [D]turtle dove,
So the [D7]world may know, I died for [G]love.
🎵 “Moore Street (The Butcher Boy)”
Includes:
✅ Lyrics above the tab
✅ 3 bars per line
✅ Fingerpicking + strumming pattern
✅ 4/4 slow Irish ballad tempo (~70 BPM)
🎶 Moore Street (The Butcher Boy)Key: G | Tempo: ♩ = 70 | Time: 4/4 | Style: Slow Folk Ballad
🎸 Strumming Pattern (4/4)
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
1 2 & & 4 &
Soft brush — think of a gentle heartbeat.
Thumb on beats 1 & 3, light down-up on 2 & 4.
Fingerpicking pattern: T – I – M – I (Thumb–Index–Middle–Index)
🌹 Verse 1
In [G]Moore [D]Street where I was [G]born,
A butcher [C]boy [D]I loved right [G]well,
e|-------3-----------2-----------3-----------0-----------2-----------3----|
B|-----0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------1---1-------3---3-------0---0--|
G|---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------2-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--2------------------------3------------------------0--------------------|
E|--3------------------------------------------------3--------------------|
G D G C D G
He courted me my [D]life away,
And [D7]now with me he will not [G]stay.
l
e|-------2-----------1-----------3-----------1-----------3-----------3----|
B|-----3---3-------1---1-------0---0-------1---1-------0---0-------0---0--|
G|---2-------2---2-------2---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--------------0------------------------0------------------------2--------|
E|-------------------------------------2------------------------3---------|
D D7 G D7 G
🌿 Verse 2
I [G]wish my [D]baby it was [G]born,
And smiling [C]on its [D]daddy's [G]knee,
e|-------3-----------2-----------3-----------0-----------2-----------3----|
B|-----0---0-------3---3-------0---0-------1---1-------3---3-------0---0--|
G|---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------2-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--2------------------------3------------------------0--------------------|
E|--3------------------------------------------------3--------------------|
G D G C D G
And my poor body to be [D]dead and gone,
With the [D7]long green grass growing over [G]me.
lua
Copy code
e|-------2-----------1-----------3-----------1-----------3-----------3----|
B|-----3---3-------1---1-------0---0-------1---1-------0---0-------0---0--|
G|---2-------2---2-------2---0-------0---2-------2---0-------0---0-------0|
D|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0----------|
A|--------------0------------------------0------------------------2--------|
E|-------------------------------------2------------------------3---------|
D D7 G D7 G
🎵 Chord Reference
G 320003
D xx0232
D7 xx0212
C x32010
THE BUTCHER BOY—One of the legion of variants of a
popular broadside murder ballad, also known by the title of
“The Gosport Tragedy,” “The Oxford Murder” and “The Wittam
Miller.” Still another version is the Hudson Valley version
collected and arranged by John Allison called “In Tarrytown.”
Ewan MacColl’s version, which he learned from Jeannie Robertson, is a clear case of murder followed by torturing guilt and
ending on the gallows. Makem’s version is closer to “Tarrytown,”
being the story of a maiden’s undoing told through her own
eyes, then shifting to the impersonal third person as the story
of the suicide unfolds. The song is particularly rich in poetic
allusion.
popular broadside murder ballad, also known by the title of
“The Gosport Tragedy,” “The Oxford Murder” and “The Wittam
Miller.” Still another version is the Hudson Valley version
collected and arranged by John Allison called “In Tarrytown.”
Ewan MacColl’s version, which he learned from Jeannie Robertson, is a clear case of murder followed by torturing guilt and
ending on the gallows. Makem’s version is closer to “Tarrytown,”
being the story of a maiden’s undoing told through her own
eyes, then shifting to the impersonal third person as the story
of the suicide unfolds. The song is particularly rich in poetic
allusion.
Here are alternative guitar chords for the key of G Major.
In[G] Moore[D] street where I was[G] born,
A butcher[C] boy[D] I loved right[G] well,
He courted me my[D] life away,
And[D7] now with me he will not[G] stay,
In[G] Moore[D] street where I was[G] born,
A butcher[C] boy[D] I loved right[G] well,
He courted me my[D] life away,
And[D7] now with me he will not[G] stay,
When I play the E7 I play the open root inversion then run the Bass E, F# to the E Major with G# in the Bass ( that looks a bit like Canis Major as it sits in the sky down here and do something similar with the A; it’s compositional trick to break the monotony of prolonged tonic majors and melodise the bass, and if you get tricky you can put an spread voiced B7 under the F# note in the bass run) The photo is the E Major 3rd in the bass I run up to.[ Steve ]
The Ludlows lyrics The Butcher Boy
The butcher boy song lyrics
My Butcher Boy Song Lyrics
My heart skips a beat when I see him walk by
In his blood-stained apron, he catches my eye
With hands so skilled, he slices the meat
But it's not just his craft that makes my heart beat
Chorus:
Oh, my love for a butcher boy
He's rough around the edges, but oh, what a joy
His strength and his charm, they make me smile
I'll love him forever, my butcher boy style
Verse 2:
He may not be fancy, with suit and tie
But he's got a gentle soul that's hard to deny
He works all day, to provide for his own
But when he looks my way, I feel right at home
Chorus:
Oh, my love for a butcher boy
He's rough around the edges, but oh, what a joy
His strength and his charm, they make me smile
I'll love him forever, my butcher boy style
Bridge:
Do people judge, by his rough hands and clothes
But to me, he's perfect, just how he goes
He's got a heart of gold, and a love so true
My butcher boy, I'll always choose you
Chorus:
Oh, my love for a butcher boy
He's rough around the edges, but oh, what a joy
His strength and his charm, they make me smile
I'll love him forever, my butcher boy style
Outro:
So here's my ode, to my sweet butcher boy
With him by my side, I'm filled with joy
No one else can make me feel this way
My love for him grows stronger every single day.
My heart skips a beat when I see him walk by
In his blood-stained apron, he catches my eye
With hands so skilled, he slices the meat
But it's not just his craft that makes my heart beat
Chorus:
Oh, my love for a butcher boy
He's rough around the edges, but oh, what a joy
His strength and his charm, they make me smile
I'll love him forever, my butcher boy style
Verse 2:
He may not be fancy, with suit and tie
But he's got a gentle soul that's hard to deny
He works all day, to provide for his own
But when he looks my way, I feel right at home
Chorus:
Oh, my love for a butcher boy
He's rough around the edges, but oh, what a joy
His strength and his charm, they make me smile
I'll love him forever, my butcher boy style
Bridge:
Do people judge, by his rough hands and clothes
But to me, he's perfect, just how he goes
He's got a heart of gold, and a love so true
My butcher boy, I'll always choose you
Chorus:
Oh, my love for a butcher boy
He's rough around the edges, but oh, what a joy
His strength and his charm, they make me smile
I'll love him forever, my butcher boy style
Outro:
So here's my ode, to my sweet butcher boy
With him by my side, I'm filled with joy
No one else can make me feel this way
My love for him grows stronger every single day.
