Molly Malone chords

by The Dubliners
  • Molly Malone is a traditional song (author unknown) - it was first published in 1883 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and again in 1884 in London by Francis Brothers & Day who credited the works to James Yorkston of Edinburgh with the musical arrangement by Edmund Forman.
  • This version is featured on the album The Dubliners-Live at Vicar Street:.
  • Music: Key of G Major in 3/4 time at ~ 60 bpm (♩)
  • Chords: G, Em7, Am, D7, A7
  • The song is also referred to as Cockles and Mussels.
Chart Legend
Numbered Circles: Fingers used to play chords   O: Optional Note
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings   R: Root Note
Unmarked strings: Play open   X: Don't play string    B: Bass Note
G Major Em Em7 Am D7
G Major Em Em7 Am D7

Molly Malone

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
                            G               D7       G
Intro: 3/4 |(violin)  ♪♪|       |   𝄎   |        |       |   𝄎   | 

      G              Em                   Am           D7
1. In Dub-lin's fair ci - ty    Where the girls are so pret-ty
     G            Em               Am        D7
   I first set my eyes    On sweet Mol-ly Ma-lone 
          G                 Em                 Am                D7
   As she wheeled her wheel bar-row    Through streets broad and nar-row
           G            Em7           G       D7    G
   Cry-ing cock-les and mus-sels    A-live  a-live  o!

          G            Em      Am            D7 
Chorus: A-live  a-live o!    A-live  a-live  o! 
                G            Em7           G      D7   G
        Cry-ing cock-les and mus-sels    A-live a-live o!

       G          Em             Am             D7
2. She was a fish mon-ger    And sure it was no won-der
   G             Em          Am         D7
   So were her   Fath-er and Moth-er be-fore
            G                  Em                Am                D7
   And they both wheeled their bar-row   Through streets broad and nar-row
            G              Em7           G       D7    G 
   Cry-ing  cock-les  and  mus-sels    A-live  a-live  o!

          G            Em      Am            D7 
Chorus: A-live  a-live o!    A-live  a-live  o!
                G            Em7           G      D7   G
        Cry-ing cock-les and mus-sels    A-live a-live o!

       G         Em            Am           D7
3. She died of a fev-er    And no one could save her
       G            Em              Am        D7 
   And that was the end    Of sweet Mol-ly Ma-lone
           G                Em                 Am                D7
   Now her ghost wheels her bar-row    Through streets broad and nar-row
           G            Em7           G      D7   G 
   Cry-ing cock-les and mus-sels    A-live a-live o!

          G           Em      Am           D7 
Chorus: A-live a-live o!    A-live a-live  o! 
                G            Em7           G      D7   G
        Cry-ing cock-les and mus-sels    A-live a-live o!... ( x4)

Notes:

  • Level Of Ease: Easy and fun.
  • In this version, the guitarist plays the whole Intro picking a G chord and continues to do so for the first line of the verse. You can do this, however, I have included all chord changes... the choice is yours.
  • Song Key: G major (1 sharp - F#)
  • 3/4 time: 3 quarter-note beats per bar/measure with a count of |1 2 3 |
  • 6/8 time: This means 6 beats per bar/measure, and the value of each beat is an eighth-note or quaver, therefore the count is | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |, etc. Some sheet music shows this time, while others show 3/4 time.
  • 6/8 or 3/4 time? At 6/8 the click track or metronome is played at a fairly quick tempo of around 120 bpm, as each click of the metronome falls on each eighth-note beat. If on the other hand the time signature is stated as 3/4 time, |1 2 3 | the tempo would be stated as moderate at around 60 bpm, where each metronome beat falls on each quarter-note beat. So, if you are practicing using a metronome or click track, you can set it at 120 bpm or 60 bpm. Some prefer the 120 bpm (6/8), as it sound more like a drummer playing the hats in eighth-note time, and it's easier to keep time... the choice is yours.
  • The song uses a nice mixture of major, minor and 7th chords, all of which are very easy to play - beginners will enjoy playing this song.

The Dubliners

The Band
The Dubliners

Origin: Dublin, Ireland

Active Years: 1962 – 2012

Music Style: Irish Folk

Members Over the Journey: Ciarán Bourke, Seán Cannon, Eamonn Campbell, Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Bob Lynch, Jim McCann, Barney McKenna, Paddy Reilly, John Sheahan, Patsy Watchorn

Associations: The Dublin Legends, The Pogues

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