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Guitar/song examples/Campfire Diploma/Spanish Lady

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< G Em C D


Spanish Lady

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The 4th verse of the original lyrics of this old folk song refers to historical places and figures who lived at the end of the 18th century and were part of the first revolutionary movement in Irish history.

Guitar chords
Ukulele (gcea)
G Em C D


Clipboard

To do:
create songsheets


The Spanish Lady

[edit | edit source]
1st

As [G]I came down through [Em]Dublin City [C]at the hour of [D]twelve at night
[G]Who should I see but a [Em]Spanish lady [C]washing her feet by [D]candle light
[G]First she washed them, [Em]then she dried them [G]over a fire of [D]amber coal
In [G]all my life I [Em]never did see a [C]maid so sweet a-[D]bout the sole

Chorus

[G]Whack for the toora [Em]loora laddy, [C]whack for the toora [D]loora lay
[G]Whack for the toora [Em]loora laddy, [C]whack for the toora [D]loora lay

2nd

As [G]I came back through [Em]Dublin city [C]at the hour of [D]half past eight
[G]Who should I spy but the [Em]Spanish lady [C]brushing her hair in [D]broad daylight
[G]First she tossed it, [Em]then she brushed it [G]on her lap was a [D]silver comb
In [G]all my life I [Em]never did see a [C]maid so fair since [D]I did roam

3rd

As [G]I went back through [Em]Dublin city [C]as the sun be-[D]gan to set
[G]Who should I spy but the [Em]Spanish lady [C]catching a moth in a [D]golden net
[G]When she saw me [Em]then she fled me [G]lifting her petticoat [D]over her knee
In [G]all my life I [Em]never did see a [C]maid so shy as the[D]Spanish lady

4th

I’ve [G]wandered north and I’ve [Em]wandered south through [C]Stonybatter and[D]Patrick’s Close
[G]Up and around the [Em]Glouster diamond and [C]back by Napper [D]Tandy’s house
[G]Old age has her [Em]hand laid on me, [G]cold as a fire of [D]ashy coals
But in [G]all my life I [Em]never did see a [C]maid so sweet as the [D]Spanish lady

Since the places in the fourth verse are not so well known outside Ireland, and the text is not easy to interpret (does an old man remember a pretty Spanish woman, did he marry her, or have his once hot embers died out in the meantime?

Song Examples:

At first, practice mainly songs with the chord combination G-Em-C-D. Especially prefer those where each chord is held for two bars. After a very short time, the change will become automatic and you can focus more on singing. The chord sequence G-Em-C-D makes the following lesson with the quick chord change easier. The other suggested songs will be for repetition later.

Clipboard

To do:
Find more public domain songs with the chord progression G Em C D (without quick chord change).


  1. Spanish Lady (Irish Folk)
    YT   Spanish Lady
  2. Whiskey in the Jar
    YT   Whiskey in the Jar
  3. YT   His Latest Flame (Elvis Presley) (!!!) © G Em (X-x) C D ...
  4. YT   Love the Lord © G G Em Em; C C D D (Hymn)
    The order of the chords remains the same, but the duration varies.
  5. YT   Stand By Me (Ben E. King) //: G G Em Em; C D G G ://
  6. YT   Let's Twist again (Chubby Checker) //: G G Em Em; C C D D; G G Em Em; C D(7) G G; C C G G; C C D D(7) ://
  7. YT   Hey Hey Baby (Refrain) G G Em Em; C D G G
    The pop formula G D Em C or Em C G D
  8. YT   Someone Like You (Adele)(Original In A = Capo 2. Fret)
  9. YT   Superman (Boyce Avenue)
  10. YT   Under The Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
  11. YT   When I Come Around (Green Day)
  12. YT   80 Millionen(Max Giesinger) C G D Em
  13. YT   Flash Mich (Mark Forster) easy: Em C G D or (Em G) C G D (original)
  14. YT   Geiles Leben (Glasperlenspiel) Em C G D (Capo = 1)
  15. YT   Namika Lieblingsmensch (Namika) Em C G D
    Compound chord progressions with G Em C D and/or G D Em C
  16. YT   Father and Son (Cat Stevens) © //G D Em C; G Em C D// at the end of the son(C D) G C G C
  17. YT   Let it Be (Beatles) © G D Em C; G D C G // Em D C G; D D C G
  18. YT   Country Roads (John Denver) © //: G G Em Em; D D C G ;// G G D D; Em Em C C; G G D D; C C G G
    other with Em
  19. YT   Das Ist Dein Leben (Philipp Dittberner)
  20. YT   Wir sind groß (Mark Forster) © Em G D C
  21. YT   99 Red Ballons (Nena) D Em G A (Possibly with capo 2nd fret and an add an A between the verses)
  22. YT   Lady in Black (Uriah Heep) © Em---; D D Em Em
  23. YT   Dieser Weg (Xavier Naidoo) © G D Em Em (Original is a semitone lower)
  24. YT   Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn/Cher) C C D D; G G Em Em (hier die höhere Version von Cher)
  25. YT   Viva La Vida (Coldplay) © (!!!) //: C C D D; G G Em Em :// (instead of Bm in the original just play G)
    Accompaniment suggestion: 4/4 + campfire beat
    1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . | 1 . 2 + . + 4 .
    A - A - A - A - | A - A V - V A -
    :Original
    1 . 2 . 3 . 4 + | . + . + 3 . 4 .
    A - A - A - A V | - V - V A - A -
  26. YT   (Photograph (Ed Sheeran))


Tip:

Not all songs can be played in one lesson. The rest are for later repetitions of the teaching material; for latecomers who have missed a lesson so that the others don't get bored, and as a break filler when some of the upcoming lessons become too strenuous and you want to play something that will be easy again.