[Verse 1]
C F C Am F
Raised on songs and sto-ries, heroes of re-nown,
C F C G G7
the pass-ing tales and glo-ries that once was Dublin Town.
C F C
The hall-owed halls and hou-ses,
Am F
the haunt-ing child-ren's rhymes,
C F C G7 C
that once was Dub-lin City in the rare___ ould times.
[Chorus]
C F C Am F
Ring-a-ring-a ros-ey (pause) as the light de-clines,
C F C G C
I re-mem-ber Dub-lin City___ in the rare___ ould times.
[Verse 2]
C F C Am F
My name it is sean Demp-sey, as Dublin as can be.
C F C G G7
Born hard and late in Pim-lico, in a house that ceased to be
C F C
By Trade I was a coo-per,
Am F
lost out to re-dundan-cy.
C F C G7 C
Like my house that fell to pro-gress, my trade's a memory.
[Verse 3]
C F C Am F
I courted Peggy Dig-nan, as pretty as you please.
C F C G G7
A rogue and a Child of Ma-ry, from the rebel Liber-ties.
C F C
I lost her to a student chap,
Am F
with skin as black as coal.
C F C G7 C
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul.
[Chorus]
C F C Am F
Ring-a-ring-a ros-ey (pause) as the light de-clines,
C F C G C
I re-mem-ber Dub-lin City___ in the rare___ ould times.
[Verse 4]
C F C Am F
The years have made me bi-tter, the gargle dims my brain.
C F C G G7
'Cause Dublin keeps on chang-ing, and nothing seems the same
C F C
The Pill-ar and the Met. have gone
Am F
the Royal long since pulled down.
C F C G7 C
As the great unyielding con-crete makes a city of my town.
[Verse 5]
C F C Am F
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay,
C F C G G7
And watch the new glass ca-ges that spring up along the Quay
C F C
My mind's too full of mem-ories,
Am F
to old to hear new chimes.
C F C G7 C
I'm part of what was Dublin, in the rare___ ould times.
[Chorus]
C F C Am F
Ring-a-ring-a ros-ey (pause) as the light de-clines,
C F C G C
I re-mem-ber Dub-lin City___ in the rare___ ould times.