Irish Songs

Seven Drunken Nights - Chords, Lyrics and Origins

Origins

Seven Drunken Nights is the Irish version of the traditional folk song, 'Our Goodman', and is surely blessed with one of the funniest - and rudest - lyrics ever written. Seven Drunken Nights, or variations thereof, has found its way into many folk traditions. It appeared in a broadside published in London in the 1760s ('The Merry Cuckold and the Kind Wife'), and variations of it are also found in Scotland, Germany and Hungary, as well, of course, as in Ireland. It became a U.K. hit for The Dubliners in 1967. When performing live, they often missed out the rudest lyrics, which come near the end of the song (but if you play it in a pub or bar, keep them in!). You can find out more about the song's origins, plus some extra verses, here.

Chords

Verse

A
As I went home on a Monday night as drunk as drunk could be,

                              D
I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be.

             A
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:

          A                                 D                                E7                                A
Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?"

Chorus

A                                                                                       D                          A
"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see

A                        D     A            E7                       A
That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me."

A                                                                             D            A
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,

A                             D      A          E7                  A
But a saddle on a sow, sure, I never saw before.

The chords for Seven Drunken Nights are fairly straightforward. Listen carefully to the Dubliners' live version of the song, and try to work on the quick chord changes in the second and fourth lines of the chorus: from A to D to A to E7 and then back to A again.

Lyrics

As I went home on a Monday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be.
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?"

"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see
That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me."
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,
But a saddle on a sow, sure, I never saw before.

And as I went home on Tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be;
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be?"

"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see
That's a woollen blanket that me mother sent to me."
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,
But buttons in a blanket sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on Wednesday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be;
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns that pipe upon the chair where my old pipe should be?"

"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see
That's a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me."
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,
But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Thursday night as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be.
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be?"

"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see
They're two lovely Geranium pots me mother sent to me."
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,
But laces in Geranium pots I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Friday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a head inside the bed where my old head should be.
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns that head with you in the bed where my old head should be?"

"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see
That's a baby boy that me mother sent to me."
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,
But a baby boy with his whiskers on sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Saturday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw two hands upon her breasts where my old hands should be.
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns them hands upon your breasts where my old hands should be?"

"Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk - you silly old fool; still you can not see
That's a lovely night gown that me mother sent to me."
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,
But fingers in a night gown sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Sunday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a thing in her thing where my old thing should be.
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: "Will you kindly tell to me:
Who owns that thing in your thing where my old thing should be?"