Weile Waile lyrics and chords
Song Meaning: "Weile Waile""Weile Waile" is a traditional Irish folk song that tells a dark, tragic story using deceptively simple and repetitive lyrics. The title, "Weile Waile," is thought to be a form of keening, a traditional Irish lament or wailing sound that reflects grief or sorrow. The song became popular through The Dubliners, whose performance highlighted the song’s haunting and macabre tone.
Themes and Meaning:
Musical Style:The melody of "Weile Waile" is simple and repetitive, which makes it easy to sing along to. This accessibility has helped the song endure as part of the Irish folk tradition. Performers like The Dubliners bring out both the haunting and ironic elements of the song through their delivery.
Themes and Meaning:
- Tragic Storytelling:
The lyrics tell the story of a woman who commits infanticide by drowning her baby in a river. She is later apprehended and faces justice for her crime.- The repeated refrain, “And the river it flowed, flowed, flowed,” reflects the inevitability of the tragic events and adds a hypnotic, somber rhythm to the song.
- Moral Tale:
Folk songs often served as cautionary tales or moral lessons. "Weile Waile" may be interpreted as a warning against violent actions and the consequences they bring. - Macabre Humor:
Although the subject matter is grim, the song’s presentation sometimes carries a dark humor that is characteristic of Irish folk music. The cheerful, upbeat delivery in some versions contrasts starkly with the dark narrative, adding an unsettling edge to the song. - Keening Tradition:
The title and refrain suggest a connection to the Irish tradition of keening, a form of ritual mourning. The repetitive nature of the song mirrors the repetitive nature of grief and sorrow. - Symbolism of the River:
The river is a central image in the song, symbolizing both the act of violence and the relentless passage of time. It flows on, indifferent to the tragedy that has taken place, emphasizing the inevitability of fate.
Musical Style:The melody of "Weile Waile" is simple and repetitive, which makes it easy to sing along to. This accessibility has helped the song endure as part of the Irish folk tradition. Performers like The Dubliners bring out both the haunting and ironic elements of the song through their delivery.
Weile Weile Waile Lyrics, Guitar Chords And Tab''Beyond here there be monsters'' , well that's what Ronnie Drew said when he was describing what the song was about. The guitar chords are in the key of D and a version in C in chordpro format and the 5 string banjo chords are also included in D Major. A traditional song [ nobody knows who wrote the song ]made famous by ''The Dubliners''.Years ago people from the cities knew very little about life in the rest of the country and there were lots of stories made to frighten children.this is one of them. Return to my list of Dubliners songs .
Well[D] there was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Weile weile[G] wai[D]le
There[A] was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Down by the river[D] Saile
She[D] had a baby 3 months old weile weile[G] wai[D]le
She[A] had a baby 3 months old,down by the river[D] Saile
She had a penknife long and sharp,weile weile waile
She had a penknife long and sharp,down by the river Saile
She stuck the penknife in the baby's heart weile weile waile
She stuck the penknife in the baby's heart,down by the river Saile
Three hard knock came knocking on the door,weile weile waile
Three hard knocks came knocking on the door,down by the river Saile
There were two policemen and a Special Branch man,weile weile waile.
There were two policemen and a Special Branch man down by the River Saile.
Are you the woman that killed the child weile weile waile
Are you the woman that killed the child,down by the river Saile.
They took her away and they put her in the jail Weile Weile Waile
They took her away and they put her in the jail down by the River Saile.
The rope was pulled and she got hung weile weile waile
The rope was pulled and she got hung,down by the river Saile
And that was the end of the woman in the woods weile weile waile
And that was the end of the woman in the woods down by the river Saile
Weile weile[G] wai[D]le
There[A] was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Down by the river[D] Saile
She[D] had a baby 3 months old weile weile[G] wai[D]le
She[A] had a baby 3 months old,down by the river[D] Saile
She had a penknife long and sharp,weile weile waile
She had a penknife long and sharp,down by the river Saile
She stuck the penknife in the baby's heart weile weile waile
She stuck the penknife in the baby's heart,down by the river Saile
Three hard knock came knocking on the door,weile weile waile
Three hard knocks came knocking on the door,down by the river Saile
There were two policemen and a Special Branch man,weile weile waile.
There were two policemen and a Special Branch man down by the River Saile.
Are you the woman that killed the child weile weile waile
Are you the woman that killed the child,down by the river Saile.
They took her away and they put her in the jail Weile Weile Waile
They took her away and they put her in the jail down by the River Saile.
The rope was pulled and she got hung weile weile waile
The rope was pulled and she got hung,down by the river Saile
And that was the end of the woman in the woods weile weile waile
And that was the end of the woman in the woods down by the river Saile
Here's the guitar chords for the key of C.
Well[C] there was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Weile weile[F] wai[C]le
There[G] was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Down by the river[C] Saile
She[C] had a baby 3 months old weile weile[F] wai[C]le
She[G] had a baby 3 months old,down by the river[C] Saile
Chords for the key of G.
Well[G] there was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Weile weile[C] wai[G]le
There[D] was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Down by the river[G] Saile
She[G] had a baby 3 months old weile weile[C] wai[G]le
She[D] had a baby 3 months old,down by the river[G] Saile
Well[C] there was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Weile weile[F] wai[C]le
There[G] was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Down by the river[C] Saile
She[C] had a baby 3 months old weile weile[F] wai[C]le
She[G] had a baby 3 months old,down by the river[C] Saile
Chords for the key of G.
Well[G] there was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Weile weile[C] wai[G]le
There[D] was an old woman and she lived in the woods
Down by the river[G] Saile
She[G] had a baby 3 months old weile weile[C] wai[G]le
She[D] had a baby 3 months old,down by the river[G] Saile
Ronnie Drew Song Weile Waile
Weile Weile Waile Guitar Tab
