Pogues - Fairytale Of New York Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A,D,G keys to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
[Opening]
It was Christmas [C]Eve babe, in the [F]drunk tank
An old man [C]said to me, won’t see [G]another one
And then he [C]sang a song, The Rare Old [F]Mountain Dew
I turned my [C]face away and dreamed [G]about [C]you
[verse 2]
Got on a [C]lucky one, came in [F]eighteen to one
I’ve got a [C]feeling this year’s for [G]me and you
So happy [C]Christmas, I love you [F]baby
I can see a [C]better time when all our [G]dreams come [C]true
[verse 3]
They’ve got [C]cars, big as [G]bars, they’ve got [Am]rivers of [F]gold
But the [C]wind goes right through you, it’s no place for the [G]old
When you [C]first took my [Am]hand, on a [C]cold Christmas [F]Eve
You [C]promised me, Broadway was [G]waiting for [C]me
[verse 4]
You were [C]handsome, you were pretty, Queen of New York [G]City
When the [C]band finished [F]playing, they [G]howled out for [C]more
[C]Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were [G]singing
We [C]kissed on the [F]corner, then [G]danced through the [C]night
[chorus]
The [F]boys of the NYPD [G]choir, were [C]singing ‘Galway [Am]Bay’
And the [C]bells were [F]ringing, [G]out for Christmas [C]Day
[verse 5]
[C] [F] [C] [G] [C] [F] [C] [G] [C]
You’re a [C]bum, you’re a punk, you’re an old slut on [G]junk
Lying [C]there almost [F]dead, on a [G]drip in that [C]bed
You [C]scum bag, you maggot, you cheap lousy [G]faggot
Happy [C]Christmas your [F]arse, I pray [G]God, it’s our [C]last
[chorus]
The [F]boys of the NYPD [G]choir, were [C]singing ‘Galway [Am]Bay’
And the [C]bells were [F]ringing, [G]out for Christmas [C]Day
[Closing]
I could have [C]been someone, well, so could [F]anyone
You took my [C]dreams from me when I first [G]found you
I kept them [C]with me babe, I put them [F]with my own
Can’t make it [C]all alone, I’ve built my dreams [G]around [C]you
[chorus]
The [F]boys of the NYPD [G]choir, were [C]singing ‘Galway [Am]Bay’
And the [C]bells were [F]ringing, [G]out for Christmas [C]Day
How to play Fairytale Of New York on Guitar (Step-by-step)
The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York on guitar requires 4 chords and 6 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Fairytale Of New York uses these transitions most often: G → C (24), C → F (19), and C → G (15). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - F chord transition.
1. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
2. C → G chord transition
To move from C to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
3. G → Am chord transition
To move from G to Am;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
4. Am → F chord transition
To move from Am to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
5. C → Am chord transition
To move from C to Am;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
6. F → G chord transition
To move from F to G;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
Fairytale Of New York chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Fairytale Of New York.
- Fairytale Of New York includes 88 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Fairytale Of New York contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Fairytale Of New York connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
- C → G: 35%
- C → F: 16%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → C: 25%
- G → Am: 13%