The lyrics to Red is the Rose are about a man sad because he has to be separated from his love. The final verse given here is taken from the earliest known recording of Red is the Rose in 1934 by Josephine Beirne and George Sweatman.
Although the lyrics in this version of the final verse are the ones used on most modern recordings, they don’t actually make any sense and are probably due to a mishearing of the original. The commonly used final verse is published below.
The chords to Red is the Rose are presented here in the key of D Major – the key used by the High Kings. The minor chords are optional but will help to enrich to overall sound. The verse and chorus have the same melody and chord structure. Use our chord converter to play the song in other keys.
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Come over the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
hills, my
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
bonnie Irish
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
lass
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
over the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
hills to your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
dar
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
ling
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
You choose the
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
rose love, and
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
I’ll make the
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
vow
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
I’ll be your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
true
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
love
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
ev
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
er
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Red is the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
rose that in
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
yonder garden
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
grows
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
fair is the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
lily of the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
val
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
ley
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
Clear is the
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
water that
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
flows from the
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Boyne
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
my love is
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
fairer than
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
a
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
ny.
Red is the Rose
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‘Twas down by Killarney’s green woods that we strayed
When the moon and the stars they were shining
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she’d be my love forever
It’s not for the parting of my sister Kate
It’s not for the loss of my mother
It’s all for the loss of my bonnie Irish lass
That is leaving old Ireland forever.
It’s not for the parting that my sister pains
It’s not for the grief of my mother
‘Tis all for the loss of my bonnie Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.
Red is the Rose
Red is the Rose videos
Red is the Rose lyrics and chords
Red is the Rose lyrics and chords print version
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Come over the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
hills, my
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
bonnie Irish
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
lass
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
over the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
hills to your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
dar
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
ling
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
You choose the
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
rose love, and
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
I’ll make the
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
vow
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
I’ll be your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
true
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
love
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
ev
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
er
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Red is the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
rose that in
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
yonder garden
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
grows
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
fair is the
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
lily of the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
val
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
ley
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
Clear is the
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
water that
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
flows from the
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Boyne
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
my love is
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
fairer than
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
a
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
ny.
‘Twas down by Killarney’s green woods that we strayed
When the moon and the stars they were shining
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she’d be my love forever
It’s not for the parting of my sister Kate
It’s not for the loss of my mother
It’s all for the loss of my bonnie Irish lass
That is leaving old Ireland forever.
It’s not for the parting that my sister pains
It’s not for the grief of my mother
‘Tis all for the loss of my bonnie Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.
Red is the Rose
Red is the Rose videos
Red is the Rose lyrics and chords
