The Rake

[Intro] Am  C  F  C  G  Em  G
        Am  C  F  C  G  Am

[Verso 1]

  Am                         C    
I am a young fellow from the 
    F
County Tyrone
       C           G            
In the town of Strabane sure I'm
Em         G
 very well known
    Am                      
For down to the alehouse I'm 
 C          F
frequently goin'
     C         G         Am
With Kitty and Ginny and Mary

   Am                    C
My father rebuked me for being such 
a rake
        Am          G
And for spending me money on whiskey
 and cakes
        Am                         
But the lassies are sweet and it's 
C             F
all for their sakes
       C             G           
And it keeps me lighthearted and 
Am
merry

[Chorus]

     Am           C            Em
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll 
             G
drink when I'm dry
       Am            G             
I will court all the lassies or at 
Em           G
least I will try
         Am                     C 
And I'll never conform 'til the 
         F
day that I die
     C        G         Am
Agus fagaimid suid mar atá sé

( C  G  Am )

[Verso 2]

     Am                      C    
If I chance for to wander on down 
       F
to the fair
        C            G           
All the lassies all around me do 
Em           G
flock on the square
     Am                     C     
I'll pull out me fiddle and play 
       F
an auld air
    C              G          Am
And soon we're all off on the spree

Continues after the ad
Remove ads
        Am                     
There's Peggy and Jane from the 
 C
banks of Loch Nee
        Am        G
There's Kitty and Molly down 
Dungannon Way
             Am             
And there's another one from 
               C             F
Cookstown who makes me head sway
       C             G         Am
Such a fuss they all make over me

[Chorus]

     Am           C            Em
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll 
             G
drink when I'm dry
       Am            G             
I will court all the lassies or at 
Em           G
least I will try
         Am                     C 
And I'll never conform 'til the 
         F
day that I die
     C        G         Am
Agus fagaimid suid mar atá sé

( C  G  Am )

[Verso 3]

   Am                   C         
To quarrel for riches I ne'er was 
  F
inclined
        C           G           
For the greatest of misers must 
Em           G
leave them behind
      Am                    C     
So me money I spend with no 
        F
thought in me mind
       C           G       
But to kick up our heels and 
     Am
carrouse

        Am                   C
For the rich never spend any gold of
 their own
          Am       G
Sure they hold it away like a dog 
and it's bone
         Am                     
But they end on their back among 
 C           F
nettles and stones
      C                G          
And I hear there're no pockets in 
Am
shrouds

[Chorus]

     Am           C            Em
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll 
             G
drink when I'm dry
       Am            G             
I will court all the lassies or at 
Em           G
least I will try
         Am                     C 
And I'll never conform 'til the 
         F
day that I die
     C        G         Am
Agus fagaimid suid mar atá sé

( Am  C  F   C  G  Em  G )
( Am  C  F   C  G  Am )

[Verso 4]

    Am                       C    
Now some say I'm foolish and some 
        F
say I'm wise
    C          G             Em  
For loving the women and the 
         G
whiskey like wives
        Am                    C   
But the son of King David had ten 
        F
hundred wives
    C              G        Am
And his wisdom was highly regarded!

        Am                       C
So I'll call for the lassies and ask
 them to wed
          Am        G
And we'll all be content in the one 
marriage bed
          Am                   
While the rich count their gold 
             C          F
we'll count children instead
          C             G      
And we'll raise them up true and 
        Am
stout-hearted

[Chorus]

     Am           C            Em
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll 
             G
drink when I'm dry
       Am            G             
I will court all the lassies or at 
Em           G
least I will try
         Am                     C 
And I'll never conform 'til the 
         F
day that I die
     C        G         Am
Agus fagaimid suid mar atá sé
     C        G         Am
Agus fagaimid suid mar atá sé