{title: Roll the Old Chariot}
{artist: Traditional}
{key: D}
{tempo: 110}
{difficulty: beginner}
{phase: 1}
{strand: M}
{feel: drive}
{lead_voice: any}
{lead_mode: call_response}
{lead_demand: easy}
{harmony: M,H}
{a_cappella: opt}
{kit: bod,gtr}
{set_role: opener}
{lang: en}
{country_tags: trad}
{copyright: pd}
{tags: campfire,capstan,chorus,public-domain,shanty,singalong,traditional}
{video: youtube:rFjnfsRoQo4}
{credit: The Longest Johns - 'Drop of Nelson's Blood / Roll the Old Chariot' (Official Music Video). Traditional shanty (PD composition); arrangement (c) The Longest Johns.}

{c: Traditional capstan shanty. Public domain. Sometimes called "A Drop of Nelson's Blood."}
{c: This is the perfect first shanty for teaching any singalong audience — minimal lyrics, maximum chorus.}

{start_of_verse}
Oh, [D]we'd be alright [G]if the wind was in our sails
We'd be alright if the [A]wind was in our sails
We'd [D]be alright if the wind [G]was in our sails
And we'll [A]all hang on behind
{end_of_verse}   

{start_of_chorus}
And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
Oh, we'd be alright if we make it round The Horn
We'd be alright if we make it round The Horn
We'd be alright if we make it round The Horn
And we'll all hang on behind
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
A [D]plate of Irish stew wouldn't [G]do us any [D]harm
A plate of Irish stew wouldn't [A]do us any harm
A [D]plate of Irish stew wouldn't [G]do us any [D]harm
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_verse} 

{start_of_chorus}
And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_chorus}


{start_of_verse}
Well a nice wash bеlow wouldn't do us any harm
Well a nice wash below wouldn't do us any harm
Well a nice wash below wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind
{end_of_verse} 

{start_of_chorus}
And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_chorus}


{start_of_verse}
A [D]drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't [G]do us any [D]harm
A drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't [A]do us any harm
A [D]drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't [G]do us any [D]harm
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_verse} 

{start_of_chorus}
And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
Well, a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
Well, a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
Well, a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind

And we'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[A]long
We'll [D]roll the old chariot a[G]long
And we'll [A]all hang on be[D]hind
{end_of_chorus}


{c: Chorus}

{c: Verse(s) — make these up. Floating verses are the tradition. Examples:}
{c: "A night out on the shore" / "A nice fat cook" / "A roll in the clover" / "A long spell in the sun"}
A [D]night out on the shore wouldn't [G]do us any [D]harm...

{c: Chorus, then verse, repeat as long as the crowd is into it}

{c: PRACTICE NOTES}
{c: Boom-chuck strum, moderate tempo, nothing fancy. The chord progression is dead simple — D, G, A — and the song is built for endless verse-chorus-verse-chorus.}
{c: Lead the chorus loud the first time so the crowd knows what to sing back.}
{c: For mandolin: chop on 2 and 4. Capstan shanty wants a steady, rolling pulse.}