Home  Skye Boat Song

G  _ _O_O_ _ |_|_|_|_|_| |_1_|_|_|_| 2_|_|_|_3_4 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|

Em O_ _ _O_O_O |_|_|_|_|_| |_2_3_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|

Am X_O_ _ _ _O |_|_|_|_1_| |_|_2_3_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|

D X_X_O_ _ _ |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_1_|_2 |_|_|_|_3_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|

C X_ _ _O_ _O |_|_|_|_1_| |_|_2_|_|_| |_3_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|

Left palm     2   1 | 3   | | | 4 T | | | | | | | | |  \| | | |

[ G ] Speed bonnie [ Em ] boat like a [ Am ] bird on the [ D ] wing
[ G ] Onward the [ C ] sailors [ G ] cry [ D ]
[ G ] Carry the [ Em ] lad that's [ Am ] born to be [ D ] king
[ G ] over the [ C ] sea to [ G ] Skye

[ Em ] Loud the winds howl [ A ] loud the waves roar
[ Em ] Thunderclouds [ C ] bend the [ Em ] air
[ Em ] Baffled our foes [ A ] stand by the shore
[ Em ] Follow they [ C ] will not [ Em ] dare [ D ]

[ G ] Speed bonnie [ Em ] boat like a [ Am ] bird on the [ D ] wing
[ G ] Over the [ C ] sea to [ G ] Skye

X = silent string O = play open string number = left hand finger thin string chord grid right

Start singing:  _ _O_ _ _ |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|

"The Skye Boat Song" is a Scottish folk song, which can also be played as a waltz, recalling the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Charles escaped in a small boat, with the aid of Flora MacDonald, disguised as a serving maid. The song has entered Scotland as a national legend.