Lyrics and Chords

Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya

The lyrics to Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya tell the story of a young woman addressing her lover and father to her child after he returns from war badly mutilated.

The song is Irish traditional. The melody was also used in the American Civil War song, When Johnny Comes Marching Home.

Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya
Dropkick Murphys
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Lyrics and Chords print version

The lyrics are given here in full. Most performers skip some of the verses, and some bands like The Dropkick Murphys drop some of the lines and fill the gaps with an instrumental section.

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Our chord converter enables you to play this song in any key.

The chords are given here in E Minor, the key used by the Dropkick Murphys. Tommy Makem and The Clancy Brothers played the song in F# Minor.

Place a capo on the second fret and use the chord shapes given below to play in F#m.

Use our key converter to play the chords in other keys.

Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya lyrics and chords

Em 

While on the road to sweet Athy, ha-

D 

roo, 

 

ha-roo,

 

While  

Em 

on the road to sweet Athy, ha-

G 

roo, 

 

ha-

B7 

roo,

 

While  

Em 

on the road to  

D 

sweet 

 

Athy,

 

A  

C 

stick in the hand, a  

B7 

drop in the eye,

 

A  

Em 

doleful 

 

 

D 

damsel 

 

 

C 

I heard  

B7 

cry.

Em 

Johnny, I hard

D 

ly knew  

Em 

ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus – to same tune as verse

Em 

With your drums and guns and guns and drums,

 

Ha-

D 

roo, 

 

ha-roo

Em 

With your drums and guns and guns and drums,

 

Ha-

G 

roo, 

 

ha-

B7 

roo

 

With  

Em 

your drums and guns and  

D 

guns and drums

 

The  

C 

enemy nearly  

B7 

slew 

 

ya;

 

Me  

Em 

darling 

 

 

D 

dear, you  

C 

look so  

B7 

queer.

Em 

Johnny, I hard

D 

ly 

 

 

Em 

knew 

 

ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where are the eyes that looked so mild ha-roo, ha-roo

Where are the eyes that looked so mild ha-roo, ha-roo

Where are the eyes that looked so mild

When my poor heart you first beguiled

Why did you run from me and the child, Johnny I hardly knew ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where are the legs with which you ran, ha-roo, ha-roo,

Where are the legs with which you ran, ha-roo, ha-roo,

Where are the legs with which you ran,

When first you went to carry a gun?

Indeed your dancing days are done.

Johnny, I hardly knew ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It grieved my heart to see you sail ha-roo, ha-roo

It grieved my heart to see you sail ha-roo, ha-roo

It grieved my heart to see you sail

Though from my heart you took leg-bail

Like a cod you’re doubled up head and tail,

Johnny I hardly knew ya

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You haven’t an arm, you haven’t a leg, ha-roo, ha-roo,

You haven’t an arm, you haven’t a leg, ha-roo, ha-roo,

You haven’t an arm, you haven’t a leg,

You’re an eyeless, noseless, chickenless egg,

You’ll have to be put with a bowl to beg.

Johnny, I hardly knew ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

I’m happy for to see you home ha-roo, ha-roo

I’m happy for to see you home ha-roo, ha-roo

I’m happy for to see you home

From the island of Ceylon

So low in the flesh son high in the bone,

Jonny I hardly knew ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How sad it is to see you so, ha-roo, ha-roo,

How sad it is to see you so, ha-roo, ha-roo,

How sad it is to see you so,

And I think of you now as an object of woe,

But your Peggy’ll still keep you on as her beau.

Johnny, I hardly knew ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They’re rolling out the guns again, ha-roo, ha-roo,

They’re rolling out the guns again, ha-roo, ha-roo,

They’re rolling out the guns again

But they never will take our sons again

No they never will take our sons again

Johnny I’m swearing to ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus