It’s Luke Kelly Month all October so we’re off with the second most requested song: The Fields of Athenry!

I did this song not too long ago so I decided that I wouldn’t play it the key of G, but my favortie key, D!

Remember, there is no difference in how you play frailing banjo in the key of D in comparison to the key of G. The chords are different but the basics are the same!

Have fun!!!!

Fields of Athenry in D (PDF)

FIELDS OF ATHENRY

[D]By a lonely prison wall, I [G]heard a young girl [D]call – [A7]ing

[D]Michael they have [G]taken you [A7]away

For you [D]stole Trevelyn’s [G]corn, so the [D]young might see the [A7]morn

Now a prison ship lies waiting in the [D]bay [G] [D]

Chorus:-
[D]Low [G]lie, the [D]fields of Athen – [Bm]ry

Where [D]once we watched the [Bm]small birds [A7]fly

Our [D]love was on the [G]wing, we had [D]dreams and songs to [A7]sing

It’s so lonely ’round the fields of Athen – [D]ry [G] [D]

By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young man calling
Nothing matters Mary when you’re free
Against the famine and the crown, I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity

Chorus

By a lonely harbour wall, she watched the last star falling
And that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she’ll wait and hope and pray, for her love in Botany Bay
It’s so lonely ’round the fields of Athenry

Joel Simpson was nice enough to join me once again for the Irish Pub Song Of The Day. I have to say that I love playing frailing banjo when Joel is on guitar. Maybe one day, I’ll get The Colonel to come over and play some fiddle on the video with us!

The Night That Paddy Murphy Died (PDF)

The Night that Paddy Murphy Died

O the [G]night that Paddy Murphy died

Is a[C]night I’ll never [G]forget:

Some of the boys got [Em]loaded drunk,

And they [C]ain’t got sober [D7]yet.

As [G]long as a bottle was passed around,

Every [C]man was feelin’ [G]gay –

O’Leary came with the [Em]bagpipes and [C]music for to [D7]play.

That’s [G]how they showed their [C]respect for Paddy [G]Murphy

That’s [G]how they [Em]showed their [C]honour and their [D7]pride.

They [G]said it was a sin ‘n’ shame

And they [C]winked at one [G]another,

And every drink in the [Em]place was full the

[C]night Pat [D7]Murphy [G]died!

As Mrs. Murphy sat in the corner pouring out her grief,
Kelly and his gang came tearing down the street.
They went into an empty room and a bottle of whiskey stole –
They put the bottle with the corpse to keep that whiskey cold!

Chorus

‘Bout 2 o’clock in the morning, after emptying the jug,
Doyle raised up the ‘ice box’ lid and saw poor Paddy’s mug!
They stopped the clock so Mrs. Murphy couldn’t tell the time,
And at a quarter after 2 they argued it was 9!

Chorus

They stopped the hearse on George St. outside some dance-saloon.
They all went in at 6 o’clock and staggered out at noon.
They went up to the graveyard, so holy and sublime –
But found out, when they got there, they’d left the corpse behind!