Lyrics and Chords

The Mountains of Mourne

The lyrics to the Mountains of Mourne adopt a very conversational style as the singer composes a letter to a friend back in Ireland.

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Some people find the song a little too sentimental but it is brilliantly written, and full of wit and humour.

The chords are quite simple and are presented here in the key of G Major.

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Celtic Thunder play G chord shapes on their recording of the song, but use a capo on the third fret, which transposes the key up to B flat.

Mountains of Mourne Lyrics and Chords

 

G 

Oh, Mary, this  

G7 

London’s a  

C 

wonderful 

 

 

Am 

sight

 

With  

D 

people here working by  

C 

day and by  

G 

night.

 

They don’t sow po

G7 

tatoes, nor  

C 

barley nor  

Am 

wheat

 

But there’s  

D7 

gangs of them digging for  

C 

gold in the  

G 

streets.

 

At  

D7 

least when I asked them that’s  

G 

what I was told

 

So I just took a  

G7 

hand at this  

C 

diggin’ for  

D7 

gold

 

But for  

G 

all that I  

G7 

found there I  

C 

might as well  

Am 

be

 

Where the  

D7 

Mountains of Mourne sweep  

C 

down to the  

G 

sea.

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

I believe that when writin’ a wish you expressed

As to how the fine ladies in London were dressed,

Well, if you believe me, when asked to a ball

Faith, they don’t wear no top to their dresses at all.

Oh, I’ve seen them myself and you could not in truth

Say if they were bound for a ball or a bath

Don’t be startin’ them fashions now, Mary Macree,

Where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

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

I’ve seen England’s king from the top of a bus

And I’ve never known him, but he means to know us.

And tho’ by the Saxon we once were oppressed,

Still I cheered, God forgive me, I cheered with the rest.

And now that he’s visited Erin’s green shore

We’ll be much better friends than we’ve been heretofore

When we’ve got all we want, we’re as quiet as can be

Where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

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

You remember young Peter O’Loughlin, of course

Well, now he is here at the head of the force

I met him today, I was crossing the Strand

And he stopped the whole street with a wave of his hand

And there we stood talkin’ of days that are gone

While the whole population of London looked on

But for all these great powers he’s wishful like me

To be back where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.

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

There’s beautiful girls here, oh, never you mind,

With beautiful shapes nature never designed

And lovely complexions all roses and cream.

But O’Loughlin remarked with regard to the same

That if at those roses you venture to sip

The colours might all come away on your lip

So I’ll wait for the wild rose that’s waitin’ for me

Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

Mountains of Mourne main page
Lyrics and Chords
Lyrics and chords print version

Links to other songs by Percy French
Mountains of Mourne
Abdul Abulbul Amir
Come Back Paddy Reilly
McBrean’s Heifer
Phil the Fluther’s Ball

Percy French - the songwriter