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