Skibbereen Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[Em]Oh father dear, and I often hear
you [C]speak of [Em]Erin's isle
Her [C]lofty scenes, her val[G]leys green,
her mountains [Em]rude and wild
[C]They say it is a [G]lovely land wherein a
prince might [Em]dwell
Then, why [D]did you [G]abandon it?
Oh, the [Em]reason to me, tell

[Verse 2]
My son, I loved [C]my native land
with energy [Em]an d pride
[C]'Til a blight came over [G]all my crops
and my sheep and [Em]cattle died
The [C]rents and taxes [G]were to pay and I could
not them [Em]re deem
And that's [D]the cruel [G]reason I
[Em]left old Skibbereen

[Verse 3]
'Tis well do I remember [C]the
bleak November [Em]day
When the [C]bailiff and the land
[G]lord came to drive us all [Em]away
[C]They set the roof on [G]fire with
their cursed English [Em]spleen
And that's [D]another [G]reason
I left [Em]old Skibbereen
Oh, your mother too, God rest her soul, [C]lay on the snowy

[Verse 4]
[Em]
ground
[C]She fainted in her [G]anguishing,
seeing the desolation [Em]'round
[C]She never rose but [G]passed away from
life to immortal [Em]dreams
And that's [G]another reason I
[Em]left old Skibbereen

[Verse 5]
Oh, you were only two years [C]old
and feeble was [Em]your frame
I could [C]not leave you with [G]my friends
for you bore your father[Em]'s name
I [C]wrapped you [G]in my cóta mór at the dead
of the night un[Em]seen
And I heaved [D]a sigh and I [G]said goodbye
to dear [Em]old Skibbereen

[Verse 6]
[Em]Oh well, father dear,
and the day will come when in [C]vengeance [Em]we will call
All Irish [C]men, both stout [G]and tall,
will rally [Em]unto the call
[C]I'll be the man to [G]lead the band
beneath the [Em]flag of green
[D]And loud and high, we'll [G]raise the cry,
"Revenge [Em]for S[D]kibbereen!"[Em]