Once in Royal David's City chords

  • Composer: Henry J. Gauntlett
  • Lyrics: Cecil Alexander
  • Date: 1848
  • Performance: Soundtrack recorded live at the NBA Big Sing, Cambridge Road, Middlesbrough.
  • Music: Key of G Major in 4/4 time at 88 bpm (♩)
  • Chords: G, Bm, C, D7, Em
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
G Major Bm Bm C Major D7 Em
G Major Bm Bm C Major D7 Em

Once in Royal David's City

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
            G  D7  G            D7  G     G  Em  Bm       D7    G
Intro: 4/4 |1& 2&  3&4& | 1&2&  3&  4&  | 1& 2&  3& 4&  | 1&2&  3&4& |

   G    D7  G               D7   G
1. Once in  ro-yal Da-vid's ci - ty
   G      Em  Bm     C   D7  G
   Stood  a   lo-wly cat-tle shed
   G     D7  G                D7   G
   Where a   mo-ther laid her ba - by
   G   Em  Bm      C   D7  G
   In  a   man-ger for His bed:
   C     G        D7      G
   Ma-ry was that mo-ther mild
   C      G          D7      G
   Je-sus Christ her lit-tle child

   G  D7   G                  D7  G
2. He came down to earth from hea-ven
   G   Em  Bm      C    D7  G
   Who is  God and Lord of  all
   G   D7  G              D7    G
   And His shel-ter was a sta - ble
   G    Em   Bm      C    D7  G
   And  His  cra-dle was  a   stall;
   C        G        D7       G
   With the poor and meek and low-ly
   C        G         D7      G
   Lived on earth our Sav-ior Ho-ly

   G   D7      G                 D7    G
3. And through all His won-drous child-hood
   G  Em    Bm     C   D7  G
   He would ho-nor and o - bey
   G    D7  G                D7   G
   Love and watch the low-ly mo - ther
   G  Em    Bm      C    D7  G
   In whose gen-tle arms He  lay
   C          G         D7         G
   Chris-tian chil-dren all should be
   C       G         D7       G
   Mild, o-be-dient, good as  He

   G   D7  G                   D7    G
4. For He  is our child-hood's pat - tern
   G   Em  Bm       C   D7  G
   Day by  day like us  He  grew
   G  D7  G                  D7   G
   He was lit-tle, weak, and help-less
   G     Em  Bm          C  D7  G
   Tears and smiles like us He  knew
   C      G        D7      G
   And He feel-eth for our sad-ness
   C      G        D7     G
   And He sha-reth in our glad-ness

   G   D7  G                  D7   G
5. And our eyes at last shall see Him
   G       Em  Bm     C   D7    G
   Through His own re-dee-ming love;
   G   D7    G                D7  G
   For that child so dear and gen-tle
   G  Em  Bm      C   D7    G
   Is our Lord in hea-ven a-bove
   C      G         D7        G
   And He leads His chil-dren on
   C      G           D7     G
   To the place where He is  gone

   G   D7  G                D7  G
6. Not in  that poor lo-wly sta-ble
   G    Em  Bm    C    D7   G
   With the o-xen stan-ding by
   G  D7    G               D7  G
   We shall see Him, but in hea-ven
   G   Em  Bm          C    D7  G
   Set at  God's right hand on  high;
   C         G           D7        G
   When like stars   His chil-dren crowned
   C      G           D7     G
   All in white shall be a - round

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