Galway Bay chords
... that dear land across the Irish seaOriginal Published Key: F Major
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 60 bpm
Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e
Skill Level: Beginner
Guitar Chords: F, G7, Gm7, C, C7, D7
Beginners: Very easy Gm7 chord (see charts below)
Right & Left-handed Chord Charts
Galway Bay
Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
F D7 G7 C7 F
Intro: 4/4 | - | | | |
(If you)
F Gm7 C7
1. If you e-ver go a-cross the sea to Ire-land
Gm7 C7 F
Then may-be at the clos-ing of your day
F D7 G7
You will sit and watch the moon rise o-ver Clad-dagh
C7 F
And see the sun go down on Gal-way Bay
F Gm7 C7
2. Just to hear a-gain the rip-ple of the trout stream
Gm7 C7 F
The wo-men in the mea-dow mak-ing hay
F D7 G7
Just to sit be-side a turf fire in the cab-in
C7 F
And watch the bare-foot Gos-soons at their play
F Gm7 C7
3. For the breez-es blow-ing o'er the seas from Ire-land
Gm7 C7 F
Are per-fumed by the heath-er as they blow
F D7 G7
And the wo-men in the up-lands dig-gin' pra-ties
C7 F
Speak a lang-uage that the strang-ers do not know
F Gm7 C7
4. For the strang-ers came and tried to teach us their way
Gm7 C7 F
They scorn'd us just for be-ing what we are
F D7 G7
But they might as well go chas-ing after moon-beams
C7 F
Or light a pen-ny can-dle from a star
F Gm7 C7
5. And if there is going to be a life here-af-ter
Gm7 C7 F
And some-how I am sure there's going to be
F D7 G7
I will ask my God to let me make my hea-ven
C7 F
In that dear land a-cross the I-rish sea...
Playing Tips:
Beginners: The alternative voicing for Gm7 is very easy. If you haven't learned barre chords yet, and you find this easy to play, you are more than ready to start learning them.
| F - D7 | This is the first bar of the introduction. Play the F chord for 2 beats and D7 for 2 beats.
It could have been written as | F / D7 / | where the repeat sign / means you repeat the previous chord within the bar.
The 3rd & 4th line of each verse is exactly the same as the Intro.
The first line of each verse:
Play F for 1 bar and the chords Gm7 and C7 for 1 bar - 2 beats on Gm7 and 2 beats on C7... the first line of each verse looks like this:
| F | Gm7 - C7 |
If you are unfamiliar with the song there are a few videos you can watch:
- Bing Crosby Key of C Major - very easy chords, Beginners may want to play along with this version.
- Celtic Woman Key of E♭ Major ... an alternative version from the traditional one... very well done.
- Use the Transposer for key changes.
Song Details:
- Songwriter: Arthur Colahan - Irish medical doctor, British Army officer and songwriter.
- Date: 1947
- Lyrics Begin: If you ever go across the sea to Ireland
- Genre: Irish Folk Song
Notable Covers:
Bing Crosby: His 1947 recording is arguably the most famous. It significantly popularized the song worldwide, particularly among the Irish diaspora. His version became a huge hit, reaching high positions on the Billboard charts.
Foster & Allen: A popular Irish singing duo, whose rendition is well regarded, particularly within Ireland.
John Gary: A beautifully presented classic rendition of the song.
Celtic Woman: Chloë Agnew of Celtic Woman has also performed the song, bringing it to a contemporary audience.
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem: They created a humorous version of the song, adding their distinctive style to the classic.
There are also many traditional irish singers that have recorded this song through the years.
