The Patriot Game chords & lyrics
by The Wolfe Tones
- The Patriot Game is an Irish Rebel Song written by Dominic Behan. He set the lyrics to the tune of an earlier folk song titled, The Merry Month of May.
- This version by The Wolfe Tones is featured on their albums, Celtic Symphony and The Anthology of Irish Song.
- Music: Key of B♭ Major in 4/4 time at 160 bpm (♩)
- Chords: B♭, E♭, F, F7, Gm
- Easier - Play in A major - Capo on 1 if playing with video
- Chords in A Major: A, D, E, E7, F#m
The Patriot Game by The Wolfe Tones
Capo: 1st fret if playing with video
Intro: 3/4 | A | D | A | E | A | D | A | A | D A E A | D | A | 1. Come all you young re-bels___ And list while I sing E A D A F#m | E7 | D | For the love of one's coun-try___ Is a ter-ri-ble thing E A D A F#m | E7 | D | It ban-ish-es fear with___ The speed of a flame A D A E | A | D | A | And it makes us all part of___ The pa-tri-ot game A D A E A | D | A | 2. My name is O'-Han-lon___ And I've just gone six-teen E A D A F#m | E7 | D | My home is in Mon-a-ghan___ Where I was weaned E A D A F#m | E7 | D | I’ve learned all my life___ Cruel En-gland to blame A D A E | A | D | A | And so I'm a part of___ The pa-tri-ot game A D A E A | D | A | 3. 'Tis bare-ly two years since___ I wan-dered a-way E A D A F#m | E7 | D | With the lo-cal bat-ta-lion___ Of the bold I-R-A. E A D A F#m | E7 | D | I read of our her-oes___ And wan-ted the same A D A E A To play up my part in___ The pa-tri-ot game | A | D | A | E | A | D | A | (game) A D A E A | D | A | 4. This is-land of ours has___ For long been half free E A D A F#m | E7 | D | Six count-ies are un-der___ John Bull's tyr-an-ny E A D A F#m | E7 | D | So I gave up my boy-hood___ To drill and to train A D A E | A | D | A | And to play my own part in___ The pa-tri-ot game A D A E A | D | A | 5. And now as I lie here___ My bo-dy all holes E A D A F#m | E7 | D | I think of those trai-tors___ Who bar-gained and sold E A D A F#m | E7 | D | And I wish that my rif-le___ Had giv-en the same A D A E | A | D | A | With those quis-lings who sold out___ The pa-tri-ot game A D A E A | D | A | 6. So come all you young re-bels___ And list while I sing E A D A F#m | E7 | D | For the love of one's coun-try___ Is a ter-ri-ble thing E A D A F#m | E7 | D | It ban-ish-es fear with___ The speed of a flame A D A E | A | D | A | E | A | And it makes us all part of___ The pa-tri-ot game...
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- Key, note & chord transposition chart
- The Patriot Game chords and lyrics - Free Download
A Major
Numbered Circles: Chord fingering - number inside circle indicates which finger to use
Unmarked strings: Play open
X: Don't play string
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings
R: Root Note
Right Handed Charts:





Left Handed Charts:





Notes:
- Level Of Ease: Easy with a capo
- Song Key: B♭ major - 2 flats (B♭, E♭)
- Song Key with capo: A Major - 3 sharps ( F#, C#, G#)
- 3/4 time: This means there are 3 quarter-note/crotchet beats per bar, therefore the count is |1 2 3|, or |1& 2& 3&| etc.
- Tempo: 53 bpm (
) This sets the metronome or click track to sound on the first beat of each bar,
or 160 bpm () to sound the metronome on every beat of each bar.
- The Wolfe Tones use a capo on the 1st fret, and play in the key of A major which audibly, is still the Key of B♭ Major. A major + 1 semitones (capo on 1st fret)= B♭major.
- A capo was most likely used because the chords are easier to play and cleaner sounding especially for finger-pickers.
- Transposition if you want to play in the original key of B♭Major:
Capo: Fret 1 (A Major) | A | D | F#m | E | E7 |
Original Key (B♭ Major) | B♭ | E♭ | Gm | F | F7 |
- If you are not playing along with the video, you don't have to use a capo. You can play in any key you want. You just need to make the correct transposition with each chord if you do choose another key.
- With each chord you transpose, you must apply exactly the same changes to each chord, i.e., if you decide to tranpsose from the key of A Major to the key of C Major (an increase of 3 semitones), you need to increase each chord by 3 semitones, therefore A-D-F#m-E-E7 becomes C-F-Am-G-G7.
Dominic Behan
Born: 22nd October 1928, in Dublin, Ireland
Died: 3rd August 1989 (aged 60), in Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation: Writer
Active Years: 1959 – 1989
Genre: Songwriter, short story writer, novelist, playwright
Subjects: Irish Republican struggle, Irish culture