Fiddler's Green

Click Here for guitar tabs.

sheet music

As I roved by the dockside one evening so rare,
To view the still waters and take the salt air,
I heard an old fisherman singing this song:
"Oh, take me away, boys, my time is not long.

"Dress me up in my oilskins and jumper,
No more on the docks I'll be seen;
Just tell my old shipmates I'm taking a trip, mates,
And I'll see you some day in Fiddler's Green.

"Now, Fiddler's Green is a place, I've heard tell,
Where fishermen go if they don't go to hell;
Where the weather is fair and the dolphins do play,
And the cold coast of Greenland is far, far away.

"The sky's always clear and there's never a gale,
And the fish jump on board with a flip of their tail;
You can lie at your leisure, there's no work to do,
And the skipper's below, making tea for the crew.

"Dress me up in my oilskins and jumper,
No more on the docks I'll be seen;
Just tell my old shipmates I'm taking a trip, mates,
And I'll see you some day in Fiddler's Green.

"And when you're in dock and the long trip is through,
There's pubs and there's clubs and there's lasses there, too;
The girls are all pretty and the beer is all free,
And there's bottles of rum growing on every tree.

"Dress me up in my oilskins and jumper,
No more on the docks I'll be seen;
Just tell my old shipmates I'm taking a trip, mates,
And I'll see you some day in Fiddler's Green.

"I don't want a harp nor a halo, not me,
Just give me a breeze and a good rolling sea;
And I'll play my old squeezebox as we sail along,
With the wind in the rigging to sing me this song."

"Dress me up in my oilskins and jumper,
No more on the docks I'll be seen;
Just tell my old shipmates I'm taking a trip, mates,
And I'll see you some day in Fiddler's Green.

####.... John Conolly, 1966 (Copyright 1970 for the world, March Music Ltd., March, Cambs, UK) ....####

A variant was recorded by Schooner Fare (Our Maine Songs, 1999). This was the first song Schooner Fare ever sang together as a trio, and they credit it with having started them on the road to singing their brand of folk music.

See more songs by Schooner Fare.

A variant was also recorded by The Landsmen (Woods And Water, 2006).

See more songs by The Landsmen.

See more songs by "Little" John Cameron.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Notes On Guitar Tabs:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.

(As arranged by Schooner Fare)

(Capo fourth fret)

As I walked down the dockside one evenin' so [Bm] fair,
(A-capella till [Bm] strum once.)
To [D] view the still [G] waters and [D] take the salt [A] air,
(Strum each chord softly once.)
I [G] heard an old [A] fisherman [F#m] singin' this [Bm] song,
Saying, [G] "Take me away boys, me [Em] time is not [A] long." [A7]
(On [Em] start the rythym strum.)

Chorus:
Wrap me [D] up in me [A] oilskins and [D] jumper, [D7]
No [G] more on the [D] docks I'll be [Em] seen; [A]
Just [G] tell me old [A] shipmates I'm [F#m] takin' a [Bm] trip, mates,
And [Em] I'll see you one day in [A] Fiddler's [D] Green. [G] [D]

Now, Fiddler's [G] Green is a [D] place, I've heard [Bm] tell,
Where [D] fishermen [G] go if they [D] don't go to [A] hell;
Where the [G] weather is [A] fair and the [F#m] dolphins do [Bm] play,
And the [G] cold coasts of Greenland are [Em] far, far a- [A] way. [A7]

Yes, the weather is [G] fair and there's [D] never a [Bm] gale,
And the [D] fish jump a- [G] board with one [D] swish of their [A] tail;
You can [G] lie in your [A] hammock, there's [F#m] no work to [Bm] do,
And the [G] skipper's below, makin' [Em] tea for the [A] crew. [A7]

Now, I don't need a [G] harp nor a [D] halo, not [Bm] me,
Just [D] give me a [G] ship and a [D] good rollin' [A] sea;
And I'll [G] play me old [A] squeeze-box as [F#m] we roll a- [Bm] long,
With the [G] wind in the riggin' to [Em] sing me a [A] song. [A7]

~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~