The Merry Plough Boy Lyrics And Chords

Also included is the tin whistle notes in the key of D and the sheet music.. Written by Jeremiah Lynch . Recorded by  Dominic Behan, The Dubliners , The Wolfe Tones , Dermot O'Brien , Eire Og , and Johnny McEvoy [ song lyrics ]. The sheet music notes are included and the guitar chords are in D with a version in G in chordpro. The youtube video is from 1974 and features The Dubliners with Ronnie Drew on vocals. This old ballad was out in the 1960's and it was then I learned it, at school. Yes, in them days we learned how to sing ballads in the classrooms in Ireland.

​
“The Merry Ploughboy (Off to Dublin in the Green)” is a lively Irish rebel song, typically sung as a marching tune in 4/4. It can sound great both as a driving strummed song and a steady rolling fingerpicked ballad.
Below you’ll find:
1️⃣ A strumming pattern to suit its march rhythm
2️⃣ A fingerstyle tab for the first verse and chorus

🎸 STRUMMING PATTERN

Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: ~100–110 BPM (medium march)

➤ Pattern (per bar):

↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count: 1 2& &4&

Add a strong downbeat on beat 1 for the marching pulse.
Keep the rhythm snappy — think of the Chieftains or Dubliners style.

Variation for verse: play gently and more percussive
Variation for chorus: open, full strums, more drive

You can also try a “bass–strum” feel:

Bass (↓) – Strum (↓↑) – Bass (↓) – Strum (↑↓↑)
to mimic that Irish drum rhythm.

🎶 FINGERSTYLE GUITAR TAB

(for the first verse and chorus)

Right-hand pattern (per measure):

Bass → G → B → E → B → G
Thumb plays alternating bass; fingers give a rolling motion.

FIRST VERSE

Lyrics:

Well, [G]I am a merry [D]ploughboy,
And I plough the fields by [G]day,
Till a [D]sudden thought came through my mind,
That I should [D7]run a[G]way.
For [G]I'm tired of this [D]civilian life,
Since the [C]day that I was [G]born,
So I'm [D]off to join the I.R.A.,
And I'm off to [C]morrow [G]morn.

   G
e|--------3-------------3-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--0-----------0---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|3-----------------3-----------------|

   D
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|

   D7
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--0-----------0---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|

   C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|

CHORUS

Lyrics:

And [G]we're off to [D]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [G]sun,
Where the bayonets [D]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [D7]Thompson [G]gun.

   G
e|--------3-------------3-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--0-----------0---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|3-----------------3-----------------|

   D
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|

   D7
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--0-----------0---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|


Repeat G → D → G → D → D7 → G with that rolling picking pattern through the chorus.
You can let the last G ring fully for one measure to end each chorus.

💡 Playing Tips

Thumb: keep a solid alternating bass — that’s the heart of the march feel.

Dynamics: verses soft and intimate, choruses louder and prouder.

Optional accent: pluck the high E on beat 4 for a lilting Irish bounce.

For performance, you can mix fingerpicking for verses and strumming for choruses — a common folk approach.

The Merry / Jolly Plough Boy Song Words And Guitar Chords In D Major

Well[D] I am a merry[A] ploughboy
And I plough the fields by[D] day
Till a[A] sudden thought came through my mind
That I should[A7] run a[D]way.
For[D] I'm tired of this[A] civilian life
Since the[G] day that I was[D] born
So I'm[A] off to join the I.R.A.
And im off to[G]morrow[D] morn
 
[Chorus]
And[D] were of to[A] Dublin in the green in the green
Where the helmets glisten in the[D] sun
Where the bayonets[A] flash and the rifles crash
To the echo of a[A7] Thompson[D] gun
 
I'll leave aside my pick and spade
I'll leave aside my plough
And I'll leave aside my old grey mare
For no more I'll need them now
 
I'll leave aside my Mary
She's the girl I do adore
And I wonder if she'll think of me
When she hears the cannon roar
 
And when the war is over
And dear old Ireland's free
I will take her to the church to wed
And a rebel's wife she'll be
 
Well some men fight for silver
And some men fight for gold
But the I.R.A. are fighting for
The land the Saxon's stole
The Merry Ploughboy (Dublin in the Green)(Traditional Irish Rebel Song – Key of D Major) 
​Chords to all verses.

[Verse 1]
Well, [D]I am a merry [A]ploughboy,
And I plough the fields by [D]day,
Till a [A]sudden thought came through my mind,
That I should [A7]run a[D]way.
For [D]I'm tired of this [A]civilian life,
Since the [G]day that I was [D]born,
So I'm [A]off to join the I.R.A.,
And I'm off to [G]morrow [D]morn.

[Chorus]
And [D]we’re off to [A]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [D]sun,
Where the bayonets [A]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [A7]Thompson [D]gun.

[Verse 2]
I’ll [D]leave aside my [A]pick and spade,
I’ll leave aside my [D]plough,
And I’ll [A]leave aside my old grey mare,
For no more I’ll need her [D]now.
And [D]I’ll leave aside my [A]Mary,
She’s the [G]girl I do a[D]dore,
And I [A]wonder if she’ll think of me,
When she hears the [G]cannon [D]roar.

[Chorus]
And [D]we’re off to [A]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [D]sun,
Where the bayonets [A]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [A7]Thompson [D]gun.

[Verse 3]
And [D]when the war is [A]over,
And dear old [G]Ireland’s [D]free,
I will [A]take her to the church to wed,
And a rebel’s wife she’ll [D]be.
For [D]some men fight for [A]silver,
And [G]some men fight for [D]gold,
But the [A]I.R.A. are fighting for
The land the [G]Saxons [D]stole.

[Final Chorus]
And [D]we’re off to [A]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [D]sun,
Where the bayonets [A]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [A7]Thompson [D]gun.

​Guitar chords to all verses in G
Well, [G]I am a merry [D]ploughboy,
And I plough the fields by [G]day,
Till a [D]sudden thought came through my mind,
That I should [D7]run a[G]way.
For [G]I'm tired of this [D]civilian life,
Since the [C]day that I was [G]born,
So I'm [D]off to join the I.R.A.,
And I'm off to [C]morrow [G]morn.

And [G]we're off to [D]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [G]sun,
Where the bayonets [D]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [D7]Thompson [G]gun.

I'll [G]leave aside my [D]pick and spade,
I'll leave aside my [G]plough,
And I'll [D]leave aside my old grey mare,
For no more I'll need her [G]now.
And [G]I'll leave aside my [D]Mary,
She's the [C]girl I do a[G]dore,
And I [D]wonder if she'll think of me,
When she hears the [C]cannon [G]roar.

And [G]we're off to [D]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [G]sun,
Where the bayonets [D]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [D7]Thompson [G]gun.

And [G]when the war is [D]over,
And dear old [C]Ireland's [G]free,
I will [D]take her to the church to wed,
And a rebel's wife she'll [G]be.
For [G]some men fight for [D]silver,
And [C]some men fight for [G]gold,
But the [D]I.R.A. are fighting for
The land the [C]Saxons [G]stole.

And [G]we're off to [D]Dublin in the green, in the green,
Where the helmets glisten in the [G]sun,
Where the bayonets [D]flash and the rifles crash,
To the echo of a [D7]Thompson [G]gun.

The Merry Ploughboy Tin Whistle Notes are by Jean-Baptiste Meynard, and so is the youtube video.

F G A A B A A E E F G G A A F G F E A C A B A E A B A E F G F D
F G A A B F G A A A E E F G G A A F G F E A C A B A E A B A E F G E D
F G A A B A A E E F G G A A F G F E A C A B A E A A A E F G F D

​The merry ploughboy guitar chords and tab

Here's the sheet music for The Merry Ploughboy