Drunken Sailor Chords

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The best 1700s sea shanty - written by an actual pirate, of course it's going to be accurate.Was this info helpful?

Difficulty:	absolute beginner
Tuning:	E A D G B E
Key:	Dm
Capo:	no capo

Author jakobbeecham [a] 138.

3 contributors total, last edit on Aug 2, 2021

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[Chorus]
 
Dm
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
C
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
Dm
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
Dm    C         Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Refrain]
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
  Dm  C         Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Verse 1]
Dm
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
C
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Dm
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Refrain]
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
 
[Verse 2]
 
Dm
Put him in a long boat till his sober
C
Put him in a long boat till his sober
Dm
Put him in a long boat till his sober
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Refrain]
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Verse 3]
 
Dm
Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom
C
Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom
Dm
Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Refrain]
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Verse 4]
 
Dm
Put him in the bed with the captains daughter
C
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter
Dm
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Refrain]
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Chorus]
 
Dm
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
C
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
Dm
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
[Refrain]
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
 
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
C
Way hay and up she rises
Dm
Way hay and up she rises
Dm    C      Dm
Early in the morning!
X

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Drunken Sailor – Misc Traditional

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"Drunken Sailor"

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4 comments

Exact. It's very accurate. You can even add some "phrases" for the transitions: - between DM and C by doing 0-3(D)-2-0(G), - between C and DM 3(A)-2(D)-0-2(G), - At the end of the last DM, 0-1-3-1(B)-2(G)-2-0-0(D), the last 2D being done with the index coming from the B string in front of the middle finger (that stays in its DM chord position (staying on fret 2 in G string))

imho this version with the small chord step (Dm and C) sounds better then the others with the big chord step, regardless of the key