Fields Of Athenry Chords & Tabs
Hi. Here's my explanation mhy no one has given the key for Fields of Athenry the way the
play it. I'm not saying that everyone else's tabs are necessarily wrong because with
music there really is no right or wrong. You can change songs to fit your personal
and nobody should give you crap. BUT Fields of Athenry is NOT a traditional song. It was
in the 70s by a Pete St. John, and its ORIGINAL key is F. However, for the song to fit
Highland bagpipes, you HAVE to change the song. The bagpipes have a VERY limited scale.
learning the pipes and one of the first things I've learned is that you can't play every
on the bagpipe. Unless you can change it somehow. And my credibility for knowing
I'm talking about should come from the fact that I'm one of the few users of this site
plays the guitar with the bagpipes as a second instrument. And the fact that the only two
you can fit the notes on the bagpipe are Eb and D.
Enough jabberin here it is:
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/d/dropkick_murphys/fields_of_athenry_crd_ver_2.html ]
Eb
By a lonely prison wall
Ab Eb Bb
I heard a young girl call--ing
Eb Ab Bb
Micheal they have taken you away
Eb Ab
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
Eb Bb
So the young might see the morn
Eb
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.
[Chorus]
Eb
Low
Ab
Lie
Eb
The Fields
Cm
Of Athenry
Eb Bb
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Eb Ab
Our love was on the wing
Eb Bb
We had dreams and songs to sing
Eb
Its so lonely round the fields of athenry.
[Verse 2]
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matters Mary when you're free
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they cut me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
[Chorus]
[verse 3]
By a lonely harbour wall
She watched the last star falling
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love at Botany bay
It's so lonely round the fields of athenry.
[chorus]
So there it is. You can tune your guitar to half-step for easier playing or whatever, im
getting any more technical. Sainte!