The Bard Of Armagh
Tommy MakemVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
Oh list' to the lay of a poor Irish harper,
And scorn not the strings in his old withered hands,
But remember those fingers, they once could move sharper,
To raise up the strains of his dear native land.
It was long before the shamrock, dear Isle's lovely emblem,
Was crushed in its beauty by the Saxon's lion paw,
And all the pretty colleens around me would gather,
Called me their bold Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.
How I love to muse on the days of my boyhood,
Though four score and three years have fled by since then.
Still it gives sweet reflection, as every young joys should,
For the merry-hearted boys make the best of old men.
At a fair or a wake I would twist my shillelagh,
And trip through a dance with my brogues tied with straw.
There all the pretty maidens around me would gather,
Called me their bold Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.
In truth I have wandered this wide world over,
Yet Ireland's my home and a dwelling for me.
And, oh, let the turf that my old bones shall cover
Be cut from the land that is trod by the free.
And when Sergeant Death in his cold arms doth embrace me,
And lulls me to sleep with old 'Erin-go-Bragh',
By the side of my Kathleen, my dear pride, oh, place me,
Then forget Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.
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Readable chord sheet for The Bard Of Armagh by Tommy Makem
Oh list'[C] t[F]o [C]th[G7]e lay of a poor Irish harper,
And s[Am]cor[F]n [C]no[F]t the strings in his old withered hands,
But r[C]em[F]em[Am]ber[G7] those fingers, they once could move sharper,
To raise[Am] up[F] t[C]he[Gsus4] strai[C]ns of his dear native land.
It was long [C]be[F]fo[C]re[G7] the shamrock, dear Isle's lovely emblem,
Was crushed i[Am]n i[F]ts[C] b[F]eauty by the Saxon's lion paw,
And all the pre[C]tt[F]y [Am]col[G7]leens around me would gather,
Called me the[Am]ir [F]bo[C]ld[Gsus4] Pheli[C]m Brady, the Bard of Armagh.
How I love to [C]mu[F]se[C] o[G7]n the days of my boyhood,
Though four sco[Am]re [F]an[C]d [F]three years have fled by since then.
Still it gives sweet[C] r[F]ef[Am]lec[G7]tion, as every young joys should,
For the merry-he[Am]art[F]ed[C] b[Gsus4]oys ma[C]ke the best of old men.
At a fair or a w[C]ak[F]e [C]I [G7]would twist my shillelagh,
And trip throug[Am]h a[F] d[C]an[F]ce with my brogues tied with straw.
There all the pretty m[C]ai[F]de[Am]ns [G7]around me would gather,
Called me t[Am]hei[F]r [C]bo[Gsus4]ld Phe[C]lim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.
In truth I have[C] w[F]an[C]de[G7]red this wide world over,
Yet Ireland's my [Am]hom[F]e [C]an[F]d a dwelling for me.
And, oh, l[C]et[F] t[Am]he [G7]turf that my old bones shall cover
Be cut from[Am] th[F]e [C]la[Gsus4]nd tha[C]t is trod by the free.
And when Sergeant De[C]at[F]h [C]in[G7] his cold arms doth embrace me,
And lulls me to s[Am]lee[F]p [C]wi[F]th old 'Erin-go-Bragh',
By the side o[C]f [F]my[Am] Ka[G7]thleen, my dear pride, oh, place me,
Then forget Phel[Am]im [F]Br[C]ad[Gsus4]y, the[C] Bard of Armagh.