Great Big Sea – Scolding Wife (Guitar)

Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E)
Key
-
Versions (2)

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Chords

from "Sea of No Cares" (2002) Trad, arr. Great Big Sea (learnt from Darrell's cousin Gabe Houlihan of Flat Rock,IIRC) Tune low E string down to D. (Alan)
        D                       
Well I came into a scolding wife a few short years ago,

                                            A
And ever since I lead a life of misery and woe,

    G                                        A
My wife she is a tyrant, around the room and in

          D   
Ah she'd sell me to the devil for a glass or two of gin.
(Bob)
     D
Sure I'll get up and go to work as mild as any man,

                                                          A                                 
and she'll get up an' dress herself and go and have her dram,

    G                                              A
and if I chance to say a word it's well I know my doom,

        D                                                
she'll follow me with the firing shovel up and down the room.
[chorus]
 D  G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, i'd thank him for his pain,

    G                D             A             Asus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

    G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

        D                G             A               D
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again.
(Darrell/Murray)
     D
When I get up at breakfast time she'll tap me on the head,

                                                       A
when I come home at Dinnertime I'll find her drunk in bed,

     G                                                A
when I come home at suppertime with patience I must stop,

            D
Cause she drinks what's in the teapot and I must drink the slops.
[chorus]
 D  G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, i'd thank him for his pain,

    G                D             A             Asus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

    G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

        D                G             A               D
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again.
(Séan)
      D
Well once I asked me scolding wife If I could go to bed,

                                                      A
She scarce gave me an hour upon the pillow to lay me head,

      G                                             A
when like a roarin' lion she come busting down the door,

      D
she caught me by the middle and threw me naked on the floor.
[chorus]
 D  G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, i'd thank him for his pain,

    G                D             A             Asus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

    G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

        D                G             A               D
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again.
"Cook in the Galley Jig": D A G A D A G A D X2 (All)
    D
Now me and my companions go to a public place,

                                                          A
She'll search around the neigbourhood until she finds my face.

        G                                  A
she'll hoist me up in ridicule before the company,

         D
saying "pettycoats is your master and forever more shall be!"
[chorus]
 D  G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, i'd thank him for his pain,

    G                D             A             Asus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

    G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

        D                G             A               D
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again.

 D  G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, i'd thank him for his pain,

    G                D             A             Asus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

    G               D              G                D
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

        D                G             A               D
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again.
N.C. And if the devil'd take her, i'd thank him for his pain, N.C. I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again N.C. And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain, N.C. Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again... The verses of this song are a drone kept by a squeezebox and bodhran. Chords are those implied.The acoustic guitar comes in for the choruses, actually entering with the downbeat on "and..".