The Patriot Game chords

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 A Major in 4/4 time at 160 bpm (♩)
  • Chords: A, D, E, F#m
  • Capo: 1st fret if playing with the video (Bb Major)
  • Beginners: Play in G Major with chords - G, C, D, Em (capo on 3 if playing with video)
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
A Major D Major E major F#m
A Major D Major E major F#m

The Patriot Game

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
              A     D     A     E     A     D     A
Intro: 3/4 ‖     |     |     |     |     |     |     |  𝄎  ‖

                      D  A           E              A       D     A
1. Come all you young re-bels    And list while I | sing |     |     |
           E             A    D           A          F#m            D
   For the love of one's coun-try    Is a ter-ri-ble thing |  𝄎  |     |
      E          A    D           A          F#m            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             D
   My home is in Mon-a-ghan    Where I was weaned |  𝄎  |     |
        E              A       D      A            F#m           D
   I’ve learned all my life    Cru-el 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          D
   With the lo-cal bat-ta-lion    Of the bold I-R-A.  |  𝄎  |     |
     E           A   D          A           F#m           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          D
   Six count-ies are un-der    John Bull's tyr-an-ny  |  𝄎  |     |
        E          A   D          A            F#m            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           D
   I think of those trai-tors    Who bar-gained and sold |  𝄎  |     |
         E            A  D          A          F#m           D
   And I wish that my ri-fle    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            D
   For the love of one's coun-try    Is a ter-ri-ble thing |  𝄎  |     |
      E          A    D           A          F#m            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 |     |     |     |     |...

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 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 Bb Major. A major + 1 semitones (capo on 1st fret)= Bb major.
  • A capo was most likely used because the chords are easier to play and cleaner sounding especially for finger-picking.
  • If you are not playing along with the video, you don't have to use a capo. You can play in any key you like.
  • Use the Transposer for any key changes

The Wolfe Tones

The Wolfe Tones
The Wolfe Tones

Origin: Inchicore, County Dublin, Ireland

Active Years: 1963 – present

Music Styles: Irish rebel music, Irish folk, Pan-Celticism

Song by The Wolfe Tones on this site:
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
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

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