Good King Wenceslas chords

by The Irish Rovers

Composer: Traditional
Lyrics: John Mason Neale
Performance: The Irish Rovers
Album: Songs Of Christmas
Music: Key of G Major in 4/4 time at bpm (♩)
Easy Chords: G, Em, C, D - ideal for beginners

Chart Legend

Numbered Circles: Fingers used to play chords O: Optional Note
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings R: Root Note
Unmarked strings: Play open X: Don't play string B: Bass Note

Good King Wenceslas

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key

              G   Em   C   D    C   D   G
Intro: 4/4 || 1&  2&   3&  4& | 1&  2&  3&4& ||

   G         Em      C          D      C      D        G
1. Good King Wen-ces-las looked out    On the feast of Ste-phen
   G        Em       C       D       C        D         G
   When the snow lay round a-bout    Deep and crisp and e-ven
   G         Em        G         Em       C          D         G
   Bright-ly shone the moon that night    Though the frost was cru-el
   G      C        Em      D        G          D       Em   C     G  Em  C  D    C  D  G
   When a poor man came in sight    Gath-’ring win-ter fu - u | - el           | 1& 2& 3&4& |

   G       Em       C        D     C       D          G
2. Hith-er page and stand by me    If thou knows’t it tell-ing
   G       Em       C      D      C         D        G
   Yon-der peas-ant who is he?    Where and what his dwell-ing?
   G       Em      G           Em       C      D         G     
   Sire he lives a good league hence    Un-der-neath the mount-ain
   G       C          Em      D        G        D       Em    C      G    Em  C  D   C  D  G
   Right a-gainst the for-est fence    By Saint Ag-nes’ fou - oun |- tain          | 1& 2& 3&4& |

   G        Em       C        D       C        D         G
3. Bring me meat and bring me wine    Bring me pine logs hith-er
   G        Em     C       D       C       D         G
   Thou and I will see him dine    When we bear them thith-er
   G        Em       G          Em      C          D       G
   Page and mon-arch forth they went    Forth they went to-geth-er
   G           C          Em      D       G       D       Em  C     G   Em  C  D   C  D  G
   Through the rude winds wild la-ment    And the bit-ter wea-ea |- ther         | 1& 2& 3&4& |

   G        Em       C       D      C       D          G
4. Sire the night is dark-er now    And the wind blows strong-er
   G        Em      C        D      C     D     G
   Fails my heart I know not how    I can go no long-er
   G       Em         G       Em      C          D       G
   Mark my foot-steps my good page    Tread thou in them bold-ly
   G          C        Em        D       G          D          Em   C      G
   Thou shalt find the wint-er’s rage    Freeze thy blood less co - old - (ly)
                                                                        

         G  Em  C  D   C  D  G      G  Em  C   D    C  D  G
Instr: |(ly)         |          / |               |          / |

         G  Em  G  Em    C  D  G      G   C  Em   D   G  D  Em  C     G
       |               |          / |               |              |     |


   G      Em        C       D       C         D        G        
5. In his mast-er's step he trod    Where the snow lay dint-ed
   G        Em     C     D      C         D         G  
   Heat was in the ver-y sod    Which the saint had print-ed
   G          Em         G      Em      C         D         G   
   There-fore Christ-ian men be sure    Wealth or rank poss-ess-ing
   G      C        Em        D       G          D           Em    C    G  Em  C  D    C  D  G  G 
   Ye who now will bless the poor    Shall your-selves find ble - es |-sing          |            |

Reading the Song Charts - a closer look at reading the song charts on this site
Chord Transposer - a better understanding of how it works
Christmas Song Page - Easier version with less chord changes