This is a great song that I loved ever since listening to The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem. I always liked to play it in the key of D, but I thought that I would be nice to everyone and play it in the key of G. You can find the tab for this song in the Keys of C, D and G in Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo, Volume 1 in print form or as a pdf download.

Maid Of Fife MP3

Maid Of Fife(PDF)

MAID OF FIFE

There [G]once was a troop of Irish Dragoons, Come marching down through [D7]Fife-e-o

And the [G]captain fell in love with a [C]very bonny lass

And her [G]name it was called pretty [C]Pe[D7]ggy-[G]o

There’s many a bonny lass in the town of Augherlass
There’s many a bonny lassie in the Jeery-o
There’s many a bonny Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all is in Fife-e-o

“Oh, come down the stairs pretty Peggy my dear,
Oh, come down the stairs pretty Peggy-o
Oh, come down the stairs, comb back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-o”

The colonel he cried “mount, mount boys mount”, The captain he cried “tarry-o
Oh tarry for a while, for another day or twa’, ‘till I see if this bonny lass will marry-o”

“I never did intend a soldier’s lady for to be, I never will marry a soldier-o
I never did intend to gang to a foreign land, and I never will marry a soldier-o”

Long ‘ere we came to the town of Augerlass, We had our captain to carry-o
And long ‘ere we reached the streets of Aberdeen, We had our captain to bury-o

Green grow the birks on bonny Eithan side, and low lie the lowlands of Fife-e-o
Oh, the captain’s name was Ned and he died for a maid
He died for the chambermaid of Fife-e-o

I survived a very, very fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day season and actually was able to record a lesson!

The Winds Are Singing Freedom is a fun song on frailing banjo. This was a favorite this weekend so I decided to revisit it from a couple of years ago. Have fun with it!

THE WINDS ARE SINGING FREEDOM

THE WINDS ARE SINGING FREEDOM(PDF)

THE WINDS ARE SINGING FREEDOM

In the [G]battered [D7]streets of [G]Belfast can’t you hear the [D7]people [G]cry?

For [C]justice [D7]long [G]denied [Em]them and their [C]crying [Am]fills the [D7]sky

But the [G]winds of [D7]change are [G]singing bringing hope from [D7]dark des[G]pair

There’s a [C]day of [D7]justice [G]com[Em]ing you can [C]feel it [D7]in the [G]air

And the winds are singing freedom they sing it everywhere
They sing it on the mountainside and in the city square
They sing of a new day dawning when our people will be free
Come and join their song of freedom let it ring from sea to sea

Too long our people suffered in their misery and their tears
And foreign rulers used our land for about eight hundred years
It’s a long road has no turning and I know that soon we’ll see
That day of justice dawning when our people will be free

There’s a time laid out for laughing there’s a time laid out to weep
There’s a time laid out for sowing and a time laid out to reap
There’s a time to love your brother there’s a time for hate to cease
You must sow the seeds of justice to reap the fruits of peace

I am finally back! I can’t really walk, but at least I could sit in the barstool and play this song!

Peace and Justice is a great, great song and I hope you like it as much as I do. Just remember that all you need to know how to do is change a couple of chords, the basic frailing strum and some single note strikes.

Peace and Justice

Peace and Justice(PDF)

PEACE AND JUSTICE

Raise the [G]cry for peace and justice, let the [D7]people sound the [G]call
Justice [C]for our battered [G]country. Peace for [D7]one and peace for [G]all

Chorus:

Peace and [G]justice are our watchwords. Peace and [D7]justice is our [G]call
Peace and [C]justice for our [G]people. Peace for [D7]one and peace for [G]all

Tell the RUC and the English soldiers, the UVF and the IRA
Guns can’t silence all the people calling out for peace to light another brand new day

In Armagh, Belfast and Derry, people walking hand in hand
Cry with love and heartfelt yearning, “Help us heal our broken land”

Man’s injustice to his neighbour, for too long has been our fate
Practice love and understanding, all we need to hate is hate

Though the road be rough and rocky and the problems mountain high
Hold your hand out to your neighbour
And we’ll all find peace and justice by and by

We must all sit down together share our hopes, our joys, our fears
Understanding and forgiveness will dry up our country’s tears

Every day that peace continues, hope will help to ease the pain
Sisters, brothers understanding will make our land a nation once again

I love this song and I sang it low for my wife Sandy. She loves when I sing the lower octave. I usually don’t do it for the videos and I had fun with it. The Irish Pub Song Of The Day is Red Is The Rose on frailing / clawhammer banjo.

Red Is The Rose MP3

Red Is The Rose(PDF)

Red Is The Rose

Come [G]over the [Em]hills, my [Am]bonny Irish [C]lass

Come [G]over the [Em]hills to your [G]dar[D7]ling;

[C]You choose the [G]rose, love, and I’ll [Am]make the [C]vow

And [G]I’ll be your [C]true [G]love for[D7]ev[G]er.

Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows,
And fair is the lily of the valley;
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
But my love is fairer than any.

‘Twas down by Killarney’s green woods that we strayed
And the moon and the stars they were shining;
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she’d be my love forever.

It’s not for the parting tht my sister pains
It’s not for the grief of my mother,
“Tis all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.

I had a lot of requests for this song, so I did it in the keys of G, C and D. So here is Dirty Old Town on frailing / clawhammer banjo.

I used to sing today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day, Flower Of Scotland with some Scottish friends when I lived in Michigan. We never planned it, but after a few drinks one of us would start off with it and we would all sing it at the top of our lungs. Every time I sing it, I can’t help but think of those good days.

Flower Of Scotland

Flower Of Scotland(PDF)

FLOWER OF SCOTLAND

Oh Flower of [G]Scotland, when will we [D7]see your likes [G]again

That [C]fought and [G]died for your [D7]wee bit hill and [G]glen

And [D7]stood [G]against them, Proud [C]Edward’s [G]army

And [C]sent them [G]homeward to [F]think [G]again

The hills are bare now and autumn leaves lie thick and still
O’er land that is lost now which those so dearly held
That stood against him proud Edward’s army and sent him homeward to think again

Those days are past now and in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now and be the nation again
That stood against him proud Edward’s army and sent him homeward to think again.

Oh Flower of Scotland when will we see your like again
That fought and died for your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him proud Edward’s army
And sent him homeward to think again

I fell in love with this song back in the mid-90′s when I traveled from Champaign, IL to the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago to see The Makem Brothers perform. I was in the “market” for a new ballad and this one hit the spot. The only problem was that everyone else started playing it as well. I tucked it away and went back to it now and again. It’s a great song and fun and easy to play on frailing / clawhammer banjo.

Rose Of Allendale MP3

Rose Of Allendale (PDF)

The Rose of Allendale

The[G] morning was fair,the[C] sky’s were[G] clear
No breath came o;re the[D] sea
When[G] Mary left her[C] highland[G] home
And[C] wandered[D] forth with[G] me
Though[D] flowers decked the[G] mountain side
And[C] fragrance[G] filled the[D] vale
By[G] far the sweetest[C] flower[G] there
Was the[C] rose of[D] Allen[G]dale

[Chorus]
Was[G] the rose of Allen[C]dale,was the[Am] rose of Allen[D]dale
By[C] far the sweetest[G] flower there,was the[C] rose of [D7]Allen[G]dale

Where’er I wandered east or west,
Tho’faith began to lour
A solace still she was to me
In sorrow’s lonely hour
When tempest lashed our lonely barque
And rent her shivring sail
One maiden form withstood the storm
‘Twas the rose of Allendale

And when my fever’d lips were parched
On Afrie’s burning sands
She whispered hopes of happiness
And tales of distant lands
My life has been a wilderness
Unbiest by fortune’s gale
Had faith not linked my lot to hers
The rose of Allendale

The request came in to do one from Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1, so here it is. This time around the Irish Pub Song Of The Day is A Nation Once Again.

This is a great one to play on frailing / clawhammer banjo. Play along and have fun!

A Nation Once Again MP3

A Nation Once Again (PDF)

A NATION ONCE AGAIN

When [G]boyhood’s fire was in my blood

I [C]read of [D7]ancient [G]freemen,

Of Greece and Rome who [Em]bravely stood,

Three [A]hundred men and [D7]three men;

And then I prayed I yet might see

Our [Em]fetters rent in [Bm]twain,

And [C]Ireland long a [Am]province [D7]be

[G]A Nation [D7]once [G]again.

A nation once [C]again,

A [Am]nation once [D7]again,

And [G]Ireland, long a [C]province [D7]be

A [G]Nation [D7]once [G]again.

And from that time, through wildest woe, That hope has shown a far light,
Nor could love’s brightest summer glow Outshine that solemn starlight;
It seemed to watch above my head In forum, field and fame,
Its angel voice sang round my bed, A Nation once again.

It whisper’d too, that freedom’s ark, And service high and holy,
Would be profaned by feeling dark And passions vain or lowly;
For, Freedom comes from God’s right hand, And needs a godly train;
And righteous men must make our land A nation once again.

So as I grew from boy to man I bent me to my bidding
The spirit of each selfish plan And cruel passions ridding
For thus I hoped some day to aid Oh, can such hope be vain?
When my dear country shall be made A nation once again.

I’m back after getting my butt kicked by DDP! Donegal Danny was a request and I had fun doing it, even though my family thought that it would be funny to try to throw me off by showing me pictures of Karen Gillan while I was recording.

Have fun with it and remember that all of the melody notes are in the first four frets.

Donegal Danny MP3

Donegal Danny (PDF)

Donegal Danny

I [G]remember the night when [C]he came [G]in from the [C]wintry cold and [G]damp

A giant of a man in an [Em]oilskin coat and a [Am]bundle which showed he was a [D7]tramp

He [G]stood at the bar and [C]called for a [G]pint and [C]turned to gaze into the [G]fire

On a night like this to be [Em]safe and warm Is my [Am]one and only [D7]desire

Chorus:

So [G]here’s to those that are [C]dead and [G]gone The friends that I left [D7]here

And [G]here’s to you then I’ll [C]bid you [G]adieu

Since Donegal [D7]Danny’s been [G]here me [Em]boys, [G]Donegal [D7]Danny’s been [G]here

Then in a voice that was hushed and low he said: listen I’ll tell you a tale
How a man of the sea became a man of the road and never more will set sail
I’ve fished out of Howth and Killybegs, Ardglass and Baltimore
But the cruel sea has beaten me and I’ll end me days on the shore

One fateful night in the wind and the rain we set sail from Killybeys town,
There were five of us from sweet Donegal and one from County Down,
We were fishermen who worked the sea and never counted the cost
But I never thought’ere that night was done that my fine friends would all be lost

Then the storm it broke and drove the boat to the rocks about ten miles from shore,
As we fought the tide we hoped inside to see our homes once more
Than we struck a rock and holed the bow and all of us knew that she’d go down
So we jumped right into the icy sea and prayed to God we wouldn’t drown

But the raging sea was rising still as we struck out for the land
And she fought with all her cruelty to claim that brilliant band
By St John’s point in the early dawn I dragged myself to the shore
And I cursed the sea for what she’d done and vowed to sail her never more

Ever since that night I’ve been on the road travelling and trying to forget
That awful night I lost all my friends, I see their faces yet
And oft times at night when the sea is high and the rain is tearing at me skin
I hear the cries of drowning men floating on the wind

Brennan On The Moor is the Irish Pub Song Of The Day this time around. This is a fun song, especially if you have three or four people to help you out in singing the refrain!

Have fun with it and remember to sing the song, play the song, love the song, do the song and then repeat, repeat, repeat!

Brennan On The Moor MP3

Brennan On The Moor (PDF)

BRENNAN ON THE MOOR

‘Tis [G]of a brave young highwayman, this story I will tell

His name was Willie Brennan and in [C]Ireland he did [G]dwell

It was on the Kilwood Mountain that he [C]commenced his wild [G]career

And [C]many a wealthy nobleman [G]before him shook with [D7]fear.

It was [G]Brennan on the moor, [Bm]Brennan on the moor.

Bold,[C] brave and [G]undaunted, was young [D7]Brennan on the [G]moor.

One day upon the highway as young Willie he went down,
He met the mayor of Cashiell, a mile outside of town.
The mayor he knew his features, and he said, “Young man”, said he
Your name is Willie Brennan, you must come along with me.

Now Brennan’s wife had gone to town, provisions for to buy;
And when she saw her Willie, she commenced to weep and cry.
He said, “Hand to me that tenpenny”, as soon as Willie spoke,
She handed him a blunderbuss from underneath her cloak.

Now with this loaded blunderbuss, the truth I will unfold
He made the mayor to tremble, and he robbed him of his gold.
One hundred pounds was offered for his apprehension there
So he, with horse and saddle to the mountains did repair.

Now Brennan being an outlaw, upon the mountains high.
With cavalry and infantry to take him they did try.
He laughed at them with scorn until at last ’twas said:
By a false-hearted woman, he was cruelly betrayed.

They took Brennan to the crossroads and there he hung and died
And still they say that in the night that some can see him ride
They see him with his blunderbuss all in the midnight still
And all along the King’s Highway rides Willie Brennan still