Bad Luck To The Rolling Water chords by Lankum

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: G

Difficulty: Novice

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.

Verse 1:
   G                C        G
Well Nancy Doyle it was her name, she was a fine young lady,
 C        G          D
Until she sailed away from me and she almost drove me crazy.
   G              C        G
Well Nancy came from Dublin town, right beside the Poddle,
   C       G        D         G
‘Til o’er the sea away from me she chanced all for to toddle.

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.

Verse 2:
  G                     C         G
Her eyes were wild and shone bright blue, her laugh was full and hearty,
  C         G         D
Her humour droll, the life and soul and centre of every party.
     G            C           G
She could drink a pint of whiskey all straight from the can,
     C         G       D         G
When the night was done and dusted it was then she’d hold my hand.

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.

Verse 3:
  G               C    G
She might not have been Aurora, a Flora or Diana,
  C           G       D
But she sang songs in the back tap room along to the ould piana.
  G            C       G
She was not Euternatia, nor was she Venus bright,
  C          G         D       G
But she could drink much more than you and beat you in a fight.

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.

Verse 4:
   G                C       G
Well there she was at work one day pretending to be sober,
   C        G       D
When up there steps a dandy gent all for to look her over.
  G             C          G
He says ‘I have an offer - I think you’ll find it grand!
   C     G      D        G
We’ll sail away upon the sea smuggling contraband.’

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.

Verse 5:
   G                  C         G
What could I say, what could I do? It was more than I could offer,
 C       G          D
I had to let her spread her wings, I couldn’t try to stop her,
G               C         G
Now she collects fine diamonds vases and antique rugs,
   C        G       D         G
With all the bags of money that she makes from dealing drugs.

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.

Verse 6:
  G             C        G
Oh Nancy, dearest Nancy, one thousand times adieu,
   C          G        D
I’ll ne’er forget ‘til my dying breath the times I spent with you.
    G             C        G
Though now I’m old and feeble and shaking on each knee,
  C         G        D     G
If ever you come this way again we’ll go upon a spree.

Chorus:
  G               C         G
Bad luck to the rolling water, bad luck to the salty brine,
 C      G         D
I only had the one true love, she swore she would be mine.
G               C       G
Now she’s gone and left me and wandered far away,
C       G        D  G
Left me crying here beside the water.