The First Of May Song Lyrics And Guitar Chords The Wolfe Tones
The first of May sheet music in the key of D INCLUDED. Written by Maurice and Barry Gibb from The Bee Gees in 1968. Recorded in Ireland by The Wolfe Tones in 1972 on the finest album they ever made ''Let The People Sing'' [ lyrics ]. I have made several key arrangements of this song. I have been wanting to try this one out on guitar for years so today being the first of May [ 2014 ] I decided to give it a lash. I looked around the net for a handy chord arrangement and found that every single site had the same chords, these boys must be all copying each other, and I'd say not one of these big tab sites ever had a guitar in their hands in their lives. I settled for the key of G Major, I never use Bm chords and instead always play a D chord instead. It's fairly close to a D and nobody's complained so far.
Key of C Major
[C]When we were small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
We [F]used to love while [C]others used to [G]play
Don't [C]ask me why the time has [Em]passed us by
Noth[F]ing seems to be the [C] same old [G]way
Now [F]we are tall and Christmas [C]trees are small
And [Dm]you don't ask the time of [C]day[C7]
But [F]you and I our love will [C]never ever die
But [Dm]guess we'll [F]crys come first of[C] May[G]
The [C]apple tree that grew for [Em]you and me
I [F]watched the apples [C]falling one by [G]one
And [C]I recall the moment [Em]of them all
The [F]day I kissed your [C]cheek and you were [G]gone
When[C] I was small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
[F]Do do do do [C]do do [G]do
Don't [C]ask me why but time has[Em] passed us by
Some[F]one else moved [C]in from far a[G]way
Key of D Major
[D]When we were small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
We [G]used to love while [D]others used to [A]play
Don't [D]ask me why the time has [F#m]passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far a[A]way
Now [G]we are tall and Christmas [D]trees are small
And [Em]you don't ask the time of [D]day[D7]
But [G]you and I our love will [D]never die
But [Em]guess we'll [G]cry come first of[D] May[A]
The [D]apple tree that grew for [F#m]you and me
I [G]watched the apples [D]falling one by [A]one
And [D]I recall the moment [F#m]of them all
The [G]day I kissed your [D]cheek and you were [A]mine
When[D] I was small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
[G]Do do do do [D]do do [A]do
Don't [D]ask me why but time has[F#m] passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far aA]way
[C]When we were small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
We [F]used to love while [C]others used to [G]play
Don't [C]ask me why the time has [Em]passed us by
Noth[F]ing seems to be the [C] same old [G]way
Now [F]we are tall and Christmas [C]trees are small
And [Dm]you don't ask the time of [C]day[C7]
But [F]you and I our love will [C]never ever die
But [Dm]guess we'll [F]crys come first of[C] May[G]
The [C]apple tree that grew for [Em]you and me
I [F]watched the apples [C]falling one by [G]one
And [C]I recall the moment [Em]of them all
The [F]day I kissed your [C]cheek and you were [G]gone
When[C] I was small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
[F]Do do do do [C]do do [G]do
Don't [C]ask me why but time has[Em] passed us by
Some[F]one else moved [C]in from far a[G]way
Key of D Major
[D]When we were small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
We [G]used to love while [D]others used to [A]play
Don't [D]ask me why the time has [F#m]passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far a[A]way
Now [G]we are tall and Christmas [D]trees are small
And [Em]you don't ask the time of [D]day[D7]
But [G]you and I our love will [D]never die
But [Em]guess we'll [G]cry come first of[D] May[A]
The [D]apple tree that grew for [F#m]you and me
I [G]watched the apples [D]falling one by [A]one
And [D]I recall the moment [F#m]of them all
The [G]day I kissed your [D]cheek and you were [A]mine
When[D] I was small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
[G]Do do do do [D]do do [A]do
Don't [D]ask me why but time has[F#m] passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far aA]way
🎶 The First of May – Bee GeesKey: G major
Tempo: Slow ballad (≈ 70–80 bpm)
Time: 4/4
Style: Gentle folk fingerpicking or light strumming
🎸 Strumming Pattern (4/4)A soft, sentimental folk rhythm:
Pattern: ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑
Count: 1 2 & & 3 & 4 &
Tip:
| G | Bm | C | G D |
↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ |
🎶 Fingerpicking Tab (Verse + Chorus)A gentle Travis-picking pattern (thumb alternates bass, fingers play melody tones).
T = Thumb, i = index, m = middle Typical pattern: T i m i T i m i
Verse
[ G ] When we were small and Christmas [ Bm ] trees were tall e|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------4---------| D|-------------------|-------------------| A|---2-------2-------|---2-------2-------| E|-3-------3---------|-------------------| [ C ] We used to love while [ G ] others used to [ D ] play e|-------0-------0---|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----1-------1-----|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------0---------|---------2---------| D|---2-------2-------|-------------------|---0---------------| A|-3-------3---------|---2---------------|-------------------| E|-------------------|-3-----------------|-2-----------------|
Chorus
[ G ] Don’t ask me why the time has [ Bm ] passed us by e|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------4---------| D|-------------------|-------------------| A|---2-------2-------|---2-------2-------| E|-3-------3---------|-------------------| [ C ] Some one else moved [ G ] in from far a[ D ]way e|-------0-------0---|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----1-------1-----|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------0---------|---------2---------| D|---2-------2-------|-------------------|---0---------------| A|-3-------3---------|---2---------------|-------------------| E|-------------------|-3-----------------|-2-----------------|
Tempo: Slow ballad (≈ 70–80 bpm)
Time: 4/4
Style: Gentle folk fingerpicking or light strumming
🎸 Strumming Pattern (4/4)A soft, sentimental folk rhythm:
Pattern: ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑
Count: 1 2 & & 3 & 4 &
Tip:
- Use your thumb for the bass on beats 1 & 2.
- Brush lightly upward with your fingers for the off-beats.
- Keep it warm and flowing — imagine a slow waltz-like sway, but in 4/4.
| G | Bm | C | G D |
↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑↑ ↓↑ |
🎶 Fingerpicking Tab (Verse + Chorus)A gentle Travis-picking pattern (thumb alternates bass, fingers play melody tones).
T = Thumb, i = index, m = middle Typical pattern: T i m i T i m i
Verse
[ G ] When we were small and Christmas [ Bm ] trees were tall e|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------4---------| D|-------------------|-------------------| A|---2-------2-------|---2-------2-------| E|-3-------3---------|-------------------| [ C ] We used to love while [ G ] others used to [ D ] play e|-------0-------0---|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----1-------1-----|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------0---------|---------2---------| D|---2-------2-------|-------------------|---0---------------| A|-3-------3---------|---2---------------|-------------------| E|-------------------|-3-----------------|-2-----------------|
Chorus
[ G ] Don’t ask me why the time has [ Bm ] passed us by e|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------4---------| D|-------------------|-------------------| A|---2-------2-------|---2-------2-------| E|-3-------3---------|-------------------| [ C ] Some one else moved [ G ] in from far a[ D ]way e|-------0-------0---|-------3-------3---|-------2-------2---| B|-----1-------1-----|-----0-------0-----|-----3-------3-----| G|---------0---------|---------0---------|---------2---------| D|---2-------2-------|-------------------|---0---------------| A|-3-------3---------|---2---------------|-------------------| E|-------------------|-3-----------------|-2-----------------|
Key Of G Major
[G]When we were small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
We [C]used to love while [G]others used to [D]play
Don't [G]ask me why the time has [Bm]passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way
Now [C]we are tall and Christmas [G]trees are small
And [Am]you don't ask the time of [G]day[G7]
But [C]you and I our love will [G]never die
But [Am]guess we'll [C]cry come first of[G] May[D]
The [G]apple tree that grew for [Bm]you and me
I [C]watched the apples [G]falling one by [D]one
And [G]I recall the moment [Bm]of them all
The [C]day I kissed your [G]cheek and you were [D]mine
When[G] I was small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
[C]Do do do do [G]do do [D]do
Don't [G]ask me why but time has[Bm] passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way.
Key Of A Major
[A]When we were small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
We [D]used to love while [A]others used to [E]play
Don't [A]ask me why the time has [C#m]passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way
Now [D]we are tall and Christmas [A]trees are small
And [Bm]you don't ask the time of [A]day[A7]
But [D]you and I our love will [A]never die
But [Bm]guess we'll [D]cry come first of[A] May[E]
The [A]apple tree that grew for [C#m]you and me
I [D]watched the apples [A]falling one by [E]one
And [A]I recall the moment [C#m]of them all
The [D]day I kissed your [A]cheek and you were [E]mine
When[A] I was small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
[D]Do do do do [A]do do [E]do
Don't [A]ask me why but time has[C#m] passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way.
Back to The Wolf Tones Lyrics And Chords
[G]When we were small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
We [C]used to love while [G]others used to [D]play
Don't [G]ask me why the time has [Bm]passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way
Now [C]we are tall and Christmas [G]trees are small
And [Am]you don't ask the time of [G]day[G7]
But [C]you and I our love will [G]never die
But [Am]guess we'll [C]cry come first of[G] May[D]
The [G]apple tree that grew for [Bm]you and me
I [C]watched the apples [G]falling one by [D]one
And [G]I recall the moment [Bm]of them all
The [C]day I kissed your [G]cheek and you were [D]mine
When[G] I was small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
[C]Do do do do [G]do do [D]do
Don't [G]ask me why but time has[Bm] passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way.
Key Of A Major
[A]When we were small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
We [D]used to love while [A]others used to [E]play
Don't [A]ask me why the time has [C#m]passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way
Now [D]we are tall and Christmas [A]trees are small
And [Bm]you don't ask the time of [A]day[A7]
But [D]you and I our love will [A]never die
But [Bm]guess we'll [D]cry come first of[A] May[E]
The [A]apple tree that grew for [C#m]you and me
I [D]watched the apples [A]falling one by [E]one
And [A]I recall the moment [C#m]of them all
The [D]day I kissed your [A]cheek and you were [E]mine
When[A] I was small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
[D]Do do do do [A]do do [E]do
Don't [A]ask me why but time has[C#m] passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way.
Back to The Wolf Tones Lyrics And Chords
The first of May sheet music in the key of D
The first of may lyrics
