The Wild Rover Lyrics And Chords
"The Wild Rover" is one of the most famous Irish folk songs, known for its rousing, sing-along chorus and themes of redemption, drinking, and returning home. Though it is often associated with Irish pub culture, the song’s origins are debated, with some suggesting it may have English or even Scottish roots. Regardless of its origin, "The Wild Rover" has become an iconic symbol of Irish music, often performed in pubs and at folk gatherings.
Themes and Meaning:
Cultural Context:
Interpretations and Performances:
Conclusion:"The Wild Rover" is a classic Irish folk song that blends themes of drinking, regret, redemption, and celebration. Its catchy chorus and timeless story of self-reflection have made it a favorite across generations, particularly in pub settings and folk music circles. Whether seen as a cautionary tale or a celebration of change, the song remains an enduring symbol of Irish musical heritage.
Themes and Meaning:
- A Life of Excess and Regret:
- The narrator describes his past life as a "wild rover," a term that suggests a lifestyle of wandering, drinking, and living irresponsibly. This theme of excess is common in folk songs, often used to reflect on youthful mistakes or indulgent behavior.
- Redemption and Change:
- Central to the song’s message is the narrator’s decision to change his ways. He declares that he will no longer be a "wild rover," suggesting a newfound maturity or desire to live a more responsible life. This theme of personal redemption is a timeless story, resonating with anyone who has experienced self-reflection and change.
- The Pub and Social Life:
- The song prominently features the image of a pub, where the narrator is turned away after offering to pay with money he claims to have. This moment may symbolize how excess and wasteful behavior can lead to social exclusion or alienation.
- Triumph and Resolution:
- By the end of the song, the narrator seems resolved in his decision to turn over a new leaf, adding a triumphant and celebratory note. The chorus, with its repetitive "No, nay, never" refrain, emphasizes the strength of the narrator’s commitment to change.
Cultural Context:
- Irish Pub Culture:
"The Wild Rover" is one of the most popular pub songs in Ireland and has become a staple of Irish folk music. Its catchy, repetitive chorus encourages audience participation, making it a favorite in social settings and sing-alongs. - Moral and Folk Tale Tradition:
Like many folk songs, "The Wild Rover" serves as a moral story. The transformation of the narrator from a reckless youth to a more reflective individual mirrors the classic folk tale theme of redemption through self-awareness. - Debated Origins:
While commonly thought of as an Irish song, "The Wild Rover" may have originated in England or Scotland as early as the 17th or 18th century. Regardless of its origins, it was embraced by Irish folk musicians and became deeply associated with Irish culture.
Interpretations and Performances:
- The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers are among the many Irish folk bands who popularized the song. Their lively renditions have helped to solidify its place in Irish music history.
- Over time, the song has been interpreted in various ways—some focus on its lighthearted, drinking-song aspect, while others highlight the underlying story of regret and change.
Conclusion:"The Wild Rover" is a classic Irish folk song that blends themes of drinking, regret, redemption, and celebration. Its catchy chorus and timeless story of self-reflection have made it a favorite across generations, particularly in pub settings and folk music circles. Whether seen as a cautionary tale or a celebration of change, the song remains an enduring symbol of Irish musical heritage.
The wild rover tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA now added plus a pdf file in DADGAD tuning. This is most likely a Traditional English Folk Song. The guitar chords are in the keys of D, G, A, E and C Major in the chordpro format. It's more famous in Ireland than anywhere . Made famous by Luke Kelly + The Dubliners [chords] and The Clancys in Ireland. The music notes are below. The song has been recorded by many bands including André Rieu, The Dropkick Murphys, The Pogues, The High Kings and The Corries to name a few. The ukulele chords are included for the version in the key of G, and the banjo / mandolin chord shapes are in D. The banjo tuning is GDAE, standard Irish tenor.
I've[D] been a wild rover for many a[G] year
And I've[D] spent all me[G] money on [A]whiskey and[D] beer
But[D] now im returning with gold in great[G] store
And I[D] never will[G] play the wild [A]rover no[D] more
[Chorus]
And it's[A] no nay never no[D] nay never no[G] more
Will I[D] play the wild[G] rover,no[A] never no[D] more
[2]
I went into an ale-house I used to frequent
And I told the landlady me money was spent
I asked her for credit,she answered me 'Nay
Such a custom as yours I can get any day
I took from my pocket 10 sovereigns bright
And the landladie's eyes opened wide with delight
She said I have whiskey and wines of the best
And the words that I spoke were only in jest
I'll go home to my parents confess what I've done
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son
And when they forgive me as oft times before
Sure I never will play the wild rover no more
And I've[D] spent all me[G] money on [A]whiskey and[D] beer
But[D] now im returning with gold in great[G] store
And I[D] never will[G] play the wild [A]rover no[D] more
[Chorus]
And it's[A] no nay never no[D] nay never no[G] more
Will I[D] play the wild[G] rover,no[A] never no[D] more
[2]
I went into an ale-house I used to frequent
And I told the landlady me money was spent
I asked her for credit,she answered me 'Nay
Such a custom as yours I can get any day
I took from my pocket 10 sovereigns bright
And the landladie's eyes opened wide with delight
She said I have whiskey and wines of the best
And the words that I spoke were only in jest
I'll go home to my parents confess what I've done
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son
And when they forgive me as oft times before
Sure I never will play the wild rover no more
Below is the PDF Ebook of folk songs lyrics and chords. The songs are in 3 different keys, There's over 500 songs in the ebook. Most have only 3 easy chords.
Price €8.90 . I'll email the ebook after payment.
Price €8.90 . I'll email the ebook after payment.
Here's the guitar chords in the key of G
I've[G] been a wild rover for many a[C] year
And I've[G] spent all me[C] money on [D]whiskey and[G] beer
But[G] now im returning with gold in great[C] store
And I[G] never will[C] play the wild [D]rover no[G] more
And it's[D] no nay never no[G] nay never no[C] more
Will I[G] play the wild[C] rover,no[D] never no[G] more
I've[G] been a wild rover for many a[C] year
And I've[G] spent all me[C] money on [D]whiskey and[G] beer
But[G] now im returning with gold in great[C] store
And I[G] never will[C] play the wild [D]rover no[G] more
And it's[D] no nay never no[G] nay never no[C] more
Will I[G] play the wild[C] rover,no[D] never no[G] more
Key of A
I've[A] been a wild rover for many a[D] year
And I've[A] spent all me[D] money on [E]whiskey and[A] beer
But[A] now im returning with gold in great[D] store
And I[A] never will[D] play the wild [E]rover no[A] more
And it's[E] no nay never no[A] nay never no[D] more
Will I[A] play the wild[D] rover,no[E] never no[A] more
Key of E
I've[E] been a wild rover for many a[A] year
And I've[E] spent all me[A] money on [B]whiskey and[E] beer
But[E] now im returning with gold in great[A] store
And I[E] never will[A] play the wild [B]rover no[E] more
And it's[B] no nay never no[E] nay never no[A] more
Will I[E] play the wild[A] rover,no[B] never no[E] more
I've[A] been a wild rover for many a[D] year
And I've[A] spent all me[D] money on [E]whiskey and[A] beer
But[A] now im returning with gold in great[D] store
And I[A] never will[D] play the wild [E]rover no[A] more
And it's[E] no nay never no[A] nay never no[D] more
Will I[A] play the wild[D] rover,no[E] never no[A] more
Key of E
I've[E] been a wild rover for many a[A] year
And I've[E] spent all me[A] money on [B]whiskey and[E] beer
But[E] now im returning with gold in great[A] store
And I[E] never will[A] play the wild [B]rover no[E] more
And it's[B] no nay never no[E] nay never no[A] more
Will I[E] play the wild[A] rover,no[B] never no[E] more
List of singers and bands who recorded The Wild Rover.
The Dubliners
The Clancy Brothers
The Pogues
The Dropkick Murphys
The Irish Rovers
The High Kings
André Rieu [ Instrumental Version ]
Brian Flynn as a guitar tutorial
Blarney Lads
The Corries
Rapalje
Cruachan [ Rock Version ]
Pen of Chaos
Celtic Collection
Here's the guitar chords in the key of C
I've[C] been a wild rover for many a[F] year
And I've[C] spent all me[F] money on [G]whiskey and[C] beer
But[C] now im returning with gold in great[F] store
And I[C] never will[F] play the wild [G]rover no[C] more
And it's[G] no nay never no[C] nay never no[F] more
Will I[C] play the wild[F] rover,no[G] never no[C] more
Here's the guitar chords in the key of G as played by The Dubliners in the video with Sean Cannon doing the singing. The Dropkick Murphys also play the song in this key.
I've[G] been a wild rover for [D]many a[C] year
And I've[G] spent all me[D] money on whiskey and[G] beer
But now im returning with gold in great[C] store
And I[CG never will[D] play the wild rover no[G] more
And it's[D] no nay never[CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP [G]no nay never no[C] more
Will I[G] play the wild[C] rover,no[G] nev[D]er no[G] more
The Dubliners
The Clancy Brothers
The Pogues
The Dropkick Murphys
The Irish Rovers
The High Kings
André Rieu [ Instrumental Version ]
Brian Flynn as a guitar tutorial
Blarney Lads
The Corries
Rapalje
Cruachan [ Rock Version ]
Pen of Chaos
Celtic Collection
Here's the guitar chords in the key of C
I've[C] been a wild rover for many a[F] year
And I've[C] spent all me[F] money on [G]whiskey and[C] beer
But[C] now im returning with gold in great[F] store
And I[C] never will[F] play the wild [G]rover no[C] more
And it's[G] no nay never no[C] nay never no[F] more
Will I[C] play the wild[F] rover,no[G] never no[C] more
Here's the guitar chords in the key of G as played by The Dubliners in the video with Sean Cannon doing the singing. The Dropkick Murphys also play the song in this key.
I've[G] been a wild rover for [D]many a[C] year
And I've[G] spent all me[D] money on whiskey and[G] beer
But now im returning with gold in great[C] store
And I[CG never will[D] play the wild rover no[G] more
And it's[D] no nay never[CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP [G]no nay never no[C] more
Will I[G] play the wild[C] rover,no[G] nev[D]er no[G] more
The Wild Rover abc music notes
D G A G E D B B A B C
B C D' B D' C A F# D B A G
D G A G E D B B A B C
B C D' B D' C A F# D B A G
F# G A A F# D
B B B A B C
B C D' B G F# E
EE D B A G
The first four lines are the for the verses, the second four for the chorus. It's not too difficult to figure out by ear anyway.
The Wild Rover Sheet Music And Tin Whistle Notes
D G A G E D B B A B C
B C D' B D' C A F# D B A G
D G A G E D B B A B C
B C D' B D' C A F# D B A G
F# G A A F# D
B B B A B C
B C D' B G F# E
EE D B A G
The first four lines are the for the verses, the second four for the chorus. It's not too difficult to figure out by ear anyway.
The Wild Rover Sheet Music And Tin Whistle Notes
The wild rover standard tuning guitar tab fingerstyle in G Major
| the_wild_rover_guitar_tab.pdf |
| the_wild_rover_guitar_tab_in_dadgad_tuning.pdf |
The wild rover tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA
Irish folk music is a living tradition in western Europe, enjoying some vigour, particularly in its dance music. The Irish have been a song-loving people for a very long time. The solo song is the most widely spread and appreciated expression of this music.
The guitar, fiddle and bagpipes are the most used accompanying instruments. Often there are singing girls (one imagines them typically with red hair and a pale complexion; creatures who almost look themselves quite lyrical) who accompany their songs on a harp.
The bagpipes originally came from Asia before they spread through all of Europe. Two different kinds of bagpipes are used. The best known ones are the Scottish bagpipes or warpipes with a limited sound range (nine notes) and the Uilleann pipes (Irish) with two octaves. It is peculiar to the latter that the bag is not blown with the mouth but with bellows clipped onto the elbows of the player. Additionally the drones have valves with which different chords can be played. Because of their construction the Irish pipes are regarded as some of the most difficult of all instruments to learn.
Additional instruments represented in Irish music are the "flute" (a wooden trans- verse flute) and the "bodhrán" which is a wooden drum covered with goatskin and held in one hand while played with sticks with the other hand. Other instruments typical for Irish music are the "bones" and the "spoons". The bones consist of two pieces of bone from the ribs of a cow and the "spoons" are ordinary wooden spoons, both are played with one hand.
Through time other instruments like the "banjo" and the "bouzouki" found their entrance into Irish music. Originally the banjo was handed down by slaves from Africa to America. From there it made its way to Ireland. At first this instrument was frowned upon by traditionalists but is today a firm part of Irish music. The bouzouki was imported by the Irish group "Planxty" in the 70's. The Irish bouzouki has a flat body and a different tuning from to the Greek bouzouki.
The guitar, fiddle and bagpipes are the most used accompanying instruments. Often there are singing girls (one imagines them typically with red hair and a pale complexion; creatures who almost look themselves quite lyrical) who accompany their songs on a harp.
The bagpipes originally came from Asia before they spread through all of Europe. Two different kinds of bagpipes are used. The best known ones are the Scottish bagpipes or warpipes with a limited sound range (nine notes) and the Uilleann pipes (Irish) with two octaves. It is peculiar to the latter that the bag is not blown with the mouth but with bellows clipped onto the elbows of the player. Additionally the drones have valves with which different chords can be played. Because of their construction the Irish pipes are regarded as some of the most difficult of all instruments to learn.
Additional instruments represented in Irish music are the "flute" (a wooden trans- verse flute) and the "bodhrán" which is a wooden drum covered with goatskin and held in one hand while played with sticks with the other hand. Other instruments typical for Irish music are the "bones" and the "spoons". The bones consist of two pieces of bone from the ribs of a cow and the "spoons" are ordinary wooden spoons, both are played with one hand.
Through time other instruments like the "banjo" and the "bouzouki" found their entrance into Irish music. Originally the banjo was handed down by slaves from Africa to America. From there it made its way to Ireland. At first this instrument was frowned upon by traditionalists but is today a firm part of Irish music. The bouzouki was imported by the Irish group "Planxty" in the 70's. The Irish bouzouki has a flat body and a different tuning from to the Greek bouzouki.
