When You Were Sweet Sixteen chords

Fureys

Song Key: G Major

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 110 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner 🟢

Guitar Chords: G, G/F#, A, Am, Bm, C, C/B, D, D7, D/C, D/B, Em

Arrangement Song Details
Play-Along Video
R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
G Major G/F# Major A Major Am Bm barre chord Bm C Major C/B D Major D7 D/C D/B Em
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
G Major-LH G/F# Major-LH A Major-LH Am-LH Bm barre chord-LH Bm-LH C Major-LH C/B-LH D Major-LH D7-LH D/C-LH D/B-LH Em-LH
Speed: x0.1

When You Were Sweet Sixteen

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
              G   G/F#  Em   C  C/B   Am    D           G     D
Intro: 4/4 ‖:   -     |    |   -    |    |     |  %  |     |     :‖
 
           G       G/F#    Em                   C    C/B   Am
      When first I saw the love-light in your | eyes     |     |
        D                      D7                   G    D7
      I thought the world held nought but joy for | me |    |
          G     G/F#      Em               C    C/B    Am
      And e-ven though we drif-ted far a-| part      |     |
        A                 A7                D  D/C    D/B    D
      I nev-er dream, but what I dream of | thee -  |     -  𝄑  |
      
        G        G/F#     Em                  C      C/B    Am
      I love you     as I nev-er loved be - | fore -     |      |
              D             D7                G        D7
      Since first I saw you on the vil-lage | green |      |
           G     G/F#        Em                        C      C/B    Am
      Come to me     e'er my dreams of love that are | o'er -     |      |
        C                G         Em                 Bm
      I love you    as I loved you      When you were sweet |     |
                    Am    D7     G
      When you were sweet    six-teen |  %  |
 
          G   G/F#  Em   C  C/B   Am    D           G     D
Instr: ‖:   -     |    |   -    |    |     |  %  |     |     :‖ 
 
        G        G/F#     Em                  C      C/B    Am
      I love you     as I nev-er loved be - | fore -     |      |
            D               D7                G        D7
      Since first I saw you on the vil-lage | green |      |
           G     G/F#        Em                        C      C/B    Am
      Come to me     e'er my dreams of love that are | o'er -     |      |
        C                G         Em                 Bm
      I love you    as I loved you      When you were sweet |     |
                    Am    D7     G
      When you were sweet    six-teen |  %  |
 
          G   G/F#  Em   C  C/B   Am    D           G     D
Outro: ‖:   -     |    |   -    |    |     |  %  |     |     :‖...repeat to fade

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: G Major - 1 sharp (G#)
  • Time Signature: 4/4
  • Tempo: Moderato espressivo (moderately with expression)
  • Metronome: ♩ = 110
  • Voice Range: G3 - B4
  • Chord Types in This Arrangement:
    • Major chords: G, A, C, D
    • Minor chords: Am, Bm, Em
    • Dominant 7th chord: D7
    • Slash chords: G/F#, C/B, D/C, D/B,
  • Slash Chords are suited to a fingerpicking style of playing. They are a normal chord with a specific bass note written after a slash.
    Format:
    Chord/Bass
    • The part before the slash = the chord you play
    • The part after the slash = the bass note you want underneath it

      So:
    • G/F♯ = a G major chord with F♯ in the bass
    • C/B = a C major chord with B in the bass
    • D/C = a D chord with C in the bass
    • D/B = a D chord with B in the bass
  • Beginners: You Can Skip the Slash Chords
    Slash chords like G/F♯, C/B, D/C, or D/B create lovely bass‑line movement, but they can be tricky when you’re just starting out. If you’re not ready for them yet, don’t worry—the song will still sound great.

    Instead of playing the slash chords, you can simply use the main chords:
    • G/F♯ → G
    • C/B → C
    • D/C → D
    • D/B → D

    This keeps the progression easy and lets you focus on smooth chord changes and steady rhythm. As you get more confident, you can come back and learn the slash‑chord versions to add that extra colour and bass movement.

Song Details:

Album Cover
Album Cover
  • Songwriter: James Thornton
  • Date: 1898
  • Lyrics Begin: When first I saw the love-light in your eye,
  • Genre: Irish Folk Song
  • Artists: The Fureys
  • Single:
    Released: 1981 (Ireland)
    B-side: Big Ships A Sailing
  • Album: When You Were Sweet Sixteen
    Released: 1982
    Country: Ireland
    Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
    Label: Banshee Records
  • Other Albums: The Fureys Finest (1993), The Very Best of The Fureys & Davey Arthur (2001),

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