Great Big Sea – Scolding Wife (Ukulele)

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from "Sea of No Cares" (2002) Trad, arr. Great Big Sea [Verse 1]
        C                             F        G    C
Well I came into a scolding wife a few short years ago

      F            C               G
And ever since I lead a life of misery and woe

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

            C              F         G              C
Ah she'd sell me to the devil for a glass or two of gin
[Verse 2]
     C                             F       G   C
Sure I'll get up and go to work as mild as any man

    F                 C                 G
and she'll get up an' dress herself and go and have her dram

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

       C                  F           G               C
she'll follow me with the fire shovel up and down the room
[Chorus]
C    F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

  F                 C              G             Gsus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

     F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

      C                 F              G                C
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again
[Verse 3]
     C                              F       G      C
When I get up at breakfast time she taps me on the head

     F                     C        G
when I come home at dinnertime I'll find her drunk in bed

     F              C               G
when I come home at suppertime with patience I must stop

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

  F                 C              G             Gsus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

     F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

      C                 F              G                C
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again
[Verse 4]
     C               F                G             C
Well once I asked me scolding wife if I could go to bed

    F                 C             G
She scarce gave me an hour upon the pillow to lay me head

     F              C             G
when like a roarin' lion she come busting down the door

    C                F                   G            C
she caught me by the middle and threw me naked on the floor
[Chorus]
C    F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

  F                 C              G             Gsus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

     F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

      C                 F              G                C
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again
[Break] C G F G C G F G C C G F G C G F G C [Verse 5]
    C             F         G           C
Now me and my companions go to a public place

       F                 C               G
She'll search around the neigbourhood until she finds my face

       F              C           G
She'll hoist me up in ridicule before the company,

        C                  F             G               C
Saying "petticoats is your master and forever more shall be!"
[Chorus]
C    F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

  F                 C              G             Gsus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

     F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

      C                 F              G                C
Oh, I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again
[Chorus]
C    F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

  F                 C              G             Gsus4
I swear to god I'll hang meself if I get married again

     F             C             F                 C
And if the devil'd take her, I'd thank him for his pain,

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