Lyrics and Chords

Lyrics and chords

The lyrics to the Rare Old Mountain Dew celebrate the powerful homemade whiskey known as poitin, which has been produced illicitly in Ireland for hundreds of years despite constant efforts by the authorities to stamp it out.

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The chords are presented here in the key of C Major.

Both the Clancy Brothers and The Dubliners, with Ronnie Drew on vocals, sing this song in C Major.

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The Dublin City Ramblers and the Orthdox Celts play the song in D Major. The Corrie Folk Trio perfomed Rare Old Mountain Dew in E major. The Irish Rovers play it in F.

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Rare Old Mountain Dew lyrics and chords

 

Let  

D 

the grasses grow and the  

G 

waters 

 

flow

 

In a  

D 

free and easy  

A 

way,

 

But  

D 

give me enough of the  

G 

rare old stuff

 

That’s  

D 

made near  

A 

Galway 

 

 

D 

Bay.

 

Come  

D 

‘gougers all from Donegal,

 

Sligo and Leitrim  

Bm 

too.

 

We’ll  

D 

give them the slip and we’ll  

G 

take a sip

 

Of the  

D 

rare old  

A 

mountain 

 

 

D 

dew.

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

Chorus

 

Fol the  

G 

didddly idle  

D 

day fol the diddly idle  

G 

day

 

Fol the diddle  

D 

di diddle di  

A 

day.

 

Fol the  

G 

didddly idle  

D 

day fol the diddly idle day

 

Fol the diddle di  

A 

diddle di  

D 

day.

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

There’s a neat little still at the foot of the hill

Where the smoke curls up to the sky,

By a whiff of the smell you can plainly tell

That there’s poitin boys close by.

For it fills the air with perfume rare

And betwixt both you and me

As home we roll, we can drink a bowl,

Or a bucket full of mountain dew.

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

Chorus

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

Now learned men that use the pen

Have writ the praises high

Of the rare poitin from Ireland green,

Distilled from wheat and rye.

Throw away your pills for it’ll cure all ills

Be you pagan Christian or Jew.

So take of your coat and grease your throat

With a bucket full of mountain dew. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus

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