The Minstrel Boy Guitar Tabs by Misc Traditional

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: abostick@netcom.com (Alan L. Bostick)
Subject: TAB: The Minstrel Boy (trad) was :REQ: Man Who Would Be King

Here it is, in all its glory. 

 

THE MINSTREL BOY TO THE WAR HAS GONE

(Traditional)

Note:  the tuning of the guitar is Dropped-D! (DADGBE)

         D                                       A       D
e:-----|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B:-----|--------------------------------|----------------3-------2---3---|
G:-----|----------------0---------------|--------2-------2---------------|
D:-----|-0----------2-------4---2---0---|-4------2-------4-------2---4---|
A:-0---|--------------------------------|--------0-----------------------|
D:-----|-0--------------0---------------|-0--------------0---------------|
   The   Min-     strel bo-oy   to  the   war    has     gone.   In  the



 G       D                          A               D
----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-0--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-0-------2-----------0---0h2p0----|---------------------------------|
-0-------0-------4------------4---|-2-------2h4p2p0-0---------------|
----------------------------------|-0---------------------------0---|
-5-------0------------------------|-----------------6---------------|
   ranks   of      de-ath  you  will  fi-     i-ind   him.        His



 D                                       A       D
--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
--------------------------------|----------------3-------2---3---|
----------------0---------------|--------2-------2---------------|
-0----------2-------4---2---0---|-4------2-------4-------2---4---|
--------------------------------|--------0-----------------------|
-0--------------0---------------|-0--------------0---------------|
 fa -     ther'sswo-ord he has    gir-   ded     on     and his



 G       D                          A               D
----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-0--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-0-------2-----------0---0h2p0----|---------------------------------|
-0-------0-------4------------4---|-2-------2h4p2p0-0---------------|
----------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|
-5-------0------------------------|-----------------6---------------|
 Wild    harp    slu-u-  ung  be-   hi-     i - ind him.



 Bm      A       G       A         G       A       D
---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-3-------2-------0-------2-------|-0-------------------------------|
-4-------2-------0-------2-h-3---|-0-------2-----------------------|
-4-------2-------0-------2-------|-0-------2-------4-------0-------|
-2-------0---------------0-------|---------0-----------------------|
-----------------5---------------|-5---------------0---------------|
 "Land   of      song,"  saidthe   war-    ior     bard,   "Though



 G                                 A       D
---------------------------------|-----------------------------|
-0---------------------------0---|-2-h-3---3-------------------|
-0-----------2---0-------2-------|-2-------2-------------------|
-0-------0---------------0-------|-2-------4---------------7-\-|
---------------------------------|-0---------------------------|
-5---5-------------------5-------|---------0-------------------|
 all         the world   be- tra-  a- ays  thee,          One



 D                                       A       D
--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
--------------------------------|----------------3-------2-h-3---|
----------------0---------------|--------2-------2---------------|
-0----------2-------4---2---0---|-4------2-------4-------2-h-4---|
--------------------------------|--------0-----------------------|
-0--------------0---------------|-0--------------0---------------|
 sword      at  lea- ea-eastthy   roads  shall   guard.  One



 G       D                          A               D
----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-0--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
-0-------2-----------0---0h2p0----|---------------------------------|
-0-------0-------4------------4---|-2-------2h4p2p0-0---------------|
----------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|
-5-------0------------------------|-----------------6---------------|
 faith-  ful     hea-ea- eart shall prai-   ai-aise thee."


Verse 1:
The minstrel boy to the war has gone.
In the ranks of death you will find him.
His father's sword he has girded on
And his wild harp slung behind him.

"Land of song," said the warrior bard,
"Though all the world betray thee,
One sword at least thy roads shall guard,
One faithful heart shall praise thee."

Verse 2:
The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under.
The harp he loved never spoke again,
For he tore its cords asunder,

And said, "No chain shall sully thee
Thou soul of love and bravery.
My songs remain for the pure and free.
They shall never sound in slavery."


Arrangement by John Lumsdaine
Put into tablature by Alan Bostick, using Ofir Zwebnir's TAB MASTER program.
-- 
                        | ELYOT:   Nasty insistent little tune. 
-- Alan Bostick         | AMANDA:  Extraordinary how potent cheap music is.
   abostick@netcom.com  | Noel Coward, PRIVATE LIVES
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