The Auld Beggarman chords by June Tabor

• Capo on 3rd

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Difficulty: Novice

Intro:
G C  D G  C D G

Verse:
            C
Oh, as I was a-linking o'er the lea
           D
The finest weel that ever I did see
G
Looking for his charity
      C    D     G
"Would you lodge a lame poor man?"

Verse:
              C
For the night being wet and it being cold
           D
She took pity on the poor old soul
G
She took pity on the poor old soul
    C    D   G
And she bade him to sit down

Chorus:
               C
With a tooran nooran nan tan nee
         D
Right ton nooran fol a doo-a-dee
G
Tooran nooran nooran nee
   C   D   G
And a tooran nooran-i-do

Verse:
            C
He sat him down in the chimbley nook
             D
The bonnie young daughter gave him a look
   G
He's thrown his bags behind a crook
  C    D   G
And merrily he did sing

Verse:
           C
Oh, he grew canty and she was fain
          D
But little did the old mother ken
G
Just what the two of them were saying
C    D    G
As they sat sae thrag

Chorus:
               C
With a tooran nooran nan tan nee
D        G
Fol a doo-a-dee
C    D    G
As they sat sae thrag

Verse:
             C
“Oh, if I was as black as I am white
           D
Just like the snow on yon fell-dyke
  G
I'd dress myself so beggar-like
   C    D    G
And away with you I'd gang”

Verse:
              C
“Oh, lassie, lassie, you're far too young
                  D
And you haven't got the lilt of the begging tongue
  G
You haven't got the lilt of the begging tongue
  C      D   G
So with me you cannot gang”

Chorus:
               C
With a tooran nooran nan tan nee
D
Fol a doo-a-dee
G
Tooran nooran nooran nee
C      D   G
With me you cannot gang”

Verse:
               C
“I'll burden my back and I'll bend my knee
         D
Put a black patch on my e'e
G
And for a beggar they'll take me
   C    D    G
And away with you I'll gang”

Chorus:
               C  D
With a tooran nooran nan tan nee
    G
With a tooran nooran nooran nee
   C    D    G
And away with you I'll gang”

Instrumental:
G C  D G  C D G

Verse:
              C
For all that the doors were locked quite tight
             D
The old woman rose in the middle of the night
  G
The old woman rose in the middle of the night
    C    D    G
But to find the old man gone

Verse:
                  C
Oh, she's run to the cupboard, likewise to the chest
           D
All things there and nothing missed
G
Clapping her hands, "And the dear be blessed
    C   D     G
Wasn't he an honest old man?"

Chorus:
               C
With a tooran nooran nan tan nee
D        G
Fol a doo-a-dee
    C   D     G
Wasn't he an honest old man?"

Verse:
                  C
Oh, the breakfast was ready and the table laid
             D
The old woman went for to waken the maid
  G
The bed was there but the maid was gone
 C      D     G
Away with the lame poor man

Chorus:
              C
And a tooran nooran nan tan nee
D
Fol a doo-a-dee
G
Tooran nooran nooran nee
 C      D     G
Away with the lame poor man

Instrumental:
G C  D G  C D G

Verse:
           C
Now seven years were passed and gone
           D
This old beggar come back again
G
Looking for his charity
      C    D     G
“Would you lodge a lame poor man?”

Verse:
            C
“Oh, I never lodged any but the one
          D
And with him my one daughter did gang
   G
And I choose you to be the very one
     C    D   G
And I'll have you to be gone”

Chorus:
               C  D
With a tooran nooran nan tan nee
G
Tooran nooran nooran nee
   C    D   G
I'll have you to be gone

Verse:
           C
“If your one daughter you want to see
           D
She has two bairnies on her knee
  G
She has two bairnies on her knee
   C     D   G
And a third one coming round

Verse:
         C
“Yonder she sits, yonder she stands
          D
The fairest lady in all Scotland
G
She has servants at her command
     C       D     G
Since she went with the lame poor man”

Chorus:
              C
And a tooran nooran nan tan nee
D        G
Fol a doo-a-dee
G
Nan tan nee
     C       D     G
Since she went with the lame poor man”

Chorus:
              C
And a tooran nooran nan tan nee
         D
Right ton nooran fol a doo-a-dee
G
Tooran nooran nooran nee
C   D   G
Tooran nooran-i-do