Raglan Road chords

by Sinead O'Connor

Song Key: A Major

Time Signature: 3/4

Tempo: Played Freely


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Chords: A, Asus4, C#m, D, E, Esus4, F#m

Arrangement Details: Helpful Tips

Chord Chart Legend
A Major Asus4 C#m-V2 C#m barre chord D Major E Major Esus4 F#m-V2 F#m barre chord
Lefties Chord Chart Legend
A Major-LH Asus4-LH C#m-V2-LH C#m barre chord-LH D Major-LH E Major-LH Esus4-LH F#m-V2-LH F#m barre chord-LH

Raglan Road

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
      A       C#m         A       D
1. On Rag-lan Road, on an aut-umn day,
     A       Esus4     Asus4    A 
   I saw her first and knew  |     |
        D                    A       F#m
   That her dark hair, would weave a snare,
        C#m     F#m     Esus4    E 
   That I might one day rue   |     |
     D       C#m      F#m
   I saw the dan-ger, yet I walked,
     C#m         F#m      Esus4    E
   A-long the en-chant-ed way   |     |
         A        C#m         A       D 
   And I said Let grief, be a fal-len leaf
          F#m      Esus4  Asus4    A
   at the dawn-ing of the day'  |     | 

  [Missing Verse:] 
      A        C#m        A          D
2. On Graf-ton Street, in Nov - em - ber,
               C#m        Esus4    Asus4     A 
   We trip-ped light-ly a-long the ledge  |     | 
        D                   A      F#m
   Of a deep rav-ine, where can be seen,
       C#m      F#m        Esus4     E 
   The worst of pas-sion's pledge |     |
       D                      C#m     F#m
   The Queen of Hearts, still mak-ing tarts,
       C#m      F#m     Esus4    E
   And I... not mak-ing hay   |     | 
         A         C#m     A        D 
   Oh, I loved too much by such and such,
      F#m         Esus4    Asus4    A
   Is hap-pi-ness thrown a-way   |     |   
 
     A        C#m          A      
3. I gave her gifts of the mind,
     D            C#m     Esus4        Asus4     A 
   I gave her the se-cret signs that's known  |     | 
          D                  A         F#m
   To the art-ists, who have known the true
   C#m     F#m       Esus4     E 
   Gods of sound and stone  |     | 
       D                C#m     F#m
   And word and tint, I did not stint,
     C#m      F#m       Esus4    E
   I gave her po-ems to say   |     | 
             A       C#m        A            D 
   With her own name there, and her own dark hair,
        F#m          Esus4    Asus4    A
   Like clouds o-ver fields of May  |     | 

            D           A    F#m   C#m    F#m    Esus4    E
Instr: ||:     |  đť„Ž  |     |     |     |       |       |     :||
       
            A    C#m    A     D    F#m   Esus4   Asus4    A
        |      |     |     |     |     |       |       |      |
 
        A                   C#m        D                        
3. On a quiet street, where old ghosts meet,
     A       Esus4    Asus4    A 
   I see her walk-ing now.  |     | 
     D              A        F#m
   A-way from me so hur-ried-ly,
      C#m     F#m     Esus4   E 
   My rea-son must al-low  |     | 
        D                C#m  F#m
   That I had loved, not as I should,
     C#m       F#m     Esus4    E
   A creat-ure made of clay  |     | 
             A     C#m       A
   When the an-gel woos, the clay
        D         F#m          Esus4  E   A
   He'd lose, his wings at the dawn   of  day...

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: A Major - 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#)
  • Time Signature: 3/4 - signifies 3 quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Played freely indicates no set time - relies on the discreation of the performer.
  • The chords A, Asus4, C#m, D, E, Esus4, and F#m encompass both basic open chords and more challenging barre chords.
  • Beginner-Level Chords:
    A, Asus4, D, E are all beginner chords while Esus4 is a simple modification of the E major chord, introducing a suspended fourth, and is also beginner-friendly.
  • Intermediate-Level Chords:
    C# Minor (C#m): Typically played as a barre chord, requiring finger strength and technique, making it more suitable for intermediate players.

    F# Minor (F#m): Usually executed as a barre chord, presenting challenges for beginners due to the need for barring multiple strings.
  • Alternative Voicings: We can overcome these challenges by introducing different chord voicings that make it easier for beginners who haven't learned barre chords yet.

    C# Minor (C#m): Played exactly the same as an open Bm chord except starting on the 4th fret instead of the 2nd fret... xx6654 (see charts above).

    F# Minor (F#m): Incorporates a mini-barre on the first 3 strings of the 2nd fret which is very easy to play... xx4222 (see charts above).

Song Details:

Album Cover
Album Cover
  • Composer: Traditional Irish Air
  • Lyricist: Patrick Kavanagh - written as a poem by Patrick Kavanagh. He presented the poem to Luke Kelly from The Dubliners who set it to the Traditional Irish Air - Le Fianne Gael An Lae, which translates to The Dawning of the Day
  • First Published: 3 October 1946, as a poem under the title, Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away.
  • Lyrics Begin: On Raglan Road on an autumn day, I saw her first and knew,
  • Genre: Irish Folk Song
  • Featured Artist: Sinead O'Connor
  • Album: Visions
    Released: 1996
    Country: Czech Republic
    Format: CD, Compilation, Unofficial Release
    Label: Oxygen
    Tracks 1-6: recorded live in Recanati, Italy, April 8th, 1995.
    Tracks 7-13: recorded live at the Pink Pop Festival, Holland, June 5th, 1995.
Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O'Connor
  • Born SinĂ©ad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on December 8, 1966 in Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireland
  • Died: July 26, 2023 (aged 56), Herne Hill, London, England
  • AKA: Magda Davitt Shuhada Sadaqat
  • Music Styles: Alternative rock, pop rock, folk rock
  • Profession: Singer, songwriter, musician, and former priest
  • Instruments: Voice, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, low whistle
  • Active Years: 1986–2023
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