Liam Clancy - The Dutchman 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 G,D keys to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
[Opening]
The [C]Dutchman’s not the kind of man to keep his thumb jammed in the dam
That [Dm]holds his dreams in [Dm]
[G]But that’s a secret that only [C]Margaret knows.
[verse 2]
[C]When Amsterdam is golden,
In the morning Margaret brings him breakfast, [Dm]
She believes him. [G]
[verse 3]
[G]He thinks the tulips bloom [C]beneath the snow.
He’s mad as [Dm]he can be, but [G]Margaret only [C]sees that [G]sometimes,
[Am]Sometimes she [Dm]sees her unborn [G]children in his [C]eyes.
[chorus]
Let us [Dm]go to the [G]banks of the [C]ocean [G] [Am]
[Dm]Where the walls rise a[G]bove the Zuider [C]Zee. [G] [Am]
Long a[Dm]go, I [G]used to be a [C]young man [G] [Am]
And dear [Dm]Margaret re[G]members that for [C]me.
[verse 4]
[C]The Dutchman still wears wooden shoes, his cap and coat are patched with the love
That [Dm]Margaret sewed there. [Dm]
[G]Sometimes he thinks he’s still in [C]Rotterdam.
He [C]watches the tugboats down canals
[verse 5]
An’ calls out to them when he thinks he [Dm]knows the Captain. [Dm] [G]
Till Margaret comes to take him [C]home again
Through unfor[Dm]giving streets that [G]trip him, though she [C]holds his arm, [G] [Am]
Sometimes he [Dm]thinks he’s a[G]lone and he calls her [C]name.
[chorus]
Let us [Dm]go to the [G]banks of the [C]ocean [G] [Am]
[Dm]Where the walls rise a[G]bove the Zuider [C]Zee. [G] [Am]
Long a[Dm]go, I [G]used to be a [C]young man [G] [Am]
And dear [Dm]Margaret re[G]members that for [C]me.
[verse 6]
Ohh the [C]windmills swirl the winter wind, she winds his muffler tighter
[Dm]they sit in the kitchen. [Dm]
[G]And a tea with whiskey keeps a[C]way the dew. He sees her for a moment, calls her name,
[Closing]
She makes the bed up humming [Dm]some old [G]love song,
She learned it when the tune was [C]very new
He hums a [Dm]line or two, they [G]hum together in the [C]night. [G] [Am]
The Dutchman [Dm]falls asleep and [G]Margaret blows the [C]candle out.
[chorus]
Let us [Dm]go to the [G]banks of the [C]ocean [G] [Am]
[Dm]Where the walls rise a[G]bove the Zuider [C]Zee. [G] [Am]
Long a[Dm]go, I [G]used to be a [C]young man [G] [Am]
And dear [Dm]Margaret re[G]members that for [C]me.
[chorus]
Let us [Dm]go to the [G]banks of the [C]ocean [G] [Am]
[Dm]Where the walls rise a[G]bove the Zuider [C]Zee. [G] [Am]
Long a[Dm]go, I [G]used to be a [C]young man [G] [Am]
And dear [Dm]Margaret re[G]members that for [C]me.
How to play The Dutchman on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Liam Clancy - The Dutchman on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 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.
The Dutchman uses these transitions most often: Dm → G (28), G → C (28), and Am → Dm (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 - Dm chord transition.
1. C → Dm chord transition
To move from C to Dm;
- 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 A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
2. Dm → G chord transition
To move from Dm to G;
- 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 B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
3. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- 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 A string fret 3.
4. 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.
5. Am → Dm chord transition
To move from Am to Dm;
- 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 B string fret 3.
The Dutchman chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Dutchman.
- The Dutchman includes 114 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- The Dutchman contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how The Dutchman connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
- G → C: 25%
- G → Am: 13%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → G: 35%
- C → Dm: 5%