The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
Hello! Below you'll find my "Fairytale of New York" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song by The Pogues is a classic and great Christmas song. The piano part as played on the recording is a bit complicated, and I go into all the details in the video. In the most difficult parts, I do give you some options if you need to simplify it.
Enjoy!
Fairytale of New York Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for Fairytale of New York:
Fairytale of New York Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| B C# D F# G F# | E |
A | G A A E D | D DD A A |
| D B | A A G |
| B | |
| B C# D F# G F# | E |
A | G A A E D | D DD A A |
| D B | A A G |
| B | |
| D D D | E A D A B C# |
[Slow Verse 1] (see last page for full piano part notes)
D G
It was Christmas Eve babe, in the drunktank
D A7
An old man said to me, won't see another one
D G
And then he sang a song, The Rare Old Mountain Dew
D Dsus4 A D A7
I turned my face away and dreamed about you
D G
It was Christmas Eve babe, in the drunktank
D A7
An old man said to me, won't see another one
D G
And then he sang a song, The Rare Old Mountain Dew
D Dsus4 A D A7
I turned my face away and dreamed about you
[Slow Verse 2]
D G
Got on a lucky one, came in eighteen to one
D A
I've got a feeling this year's for me and you
D G
So happy Christmas, I love you baby
D Dsus4 A D
I can see a better time when all our dreams come true
[Instrumental 1]
Same as first 5 counts of Intro (see video)
[Instrumental 2]
| D D/A | D A | D G | A D |
[Fast Verse 1]
D A Bm G
They've got cars big as bars, they've got rivers of gold
D D/A
But the wind goes right through you it's no
D A
Place for the old
D Bm D G
When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve
D D A D
You promised me Broadway was waiting for me
When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve
D D A D
You promised me Broadway was waiting for me
[Fast Verse 2]
D D/A D
You were handsome, you were pretty queen of
A
New York City
D G
When the band finished playing they
D G
When the band finished playing they
A D
Howled out for more
D D/A D A
Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing
D G A D
We kissed on the corner, then danced through the night
D D/A D A
Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing
D G A D
We kissed on the corner, then danced through the night
[Chorus 1]
G G/B D/F# Bm
The boys of the NYPD choir were singing "Galway Bay"
D G A (D)
And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day
[Instrumental 3]
| D A | Bm G | D D/A | D A |
| D Bm | D G | D | A D |
[Fast Verse 3]
D D/A D A
You're a bum, you're a punk you're an old slut on junk
D G A D
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
D D/A D A
You scum bag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot
D G A D
Happy Christmas your arse I pray God It's our last
[Chorus 2]
G G/B D/F# Bm
The boys of the NYPD choir still singing "Galway Bay"
D G A (D)
And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day
[Instrumental 4]
| D | D | G | G | D | D | A | A |
| D | D | G | G | D | D | A | A |
[Slow Verse 3]
D G
I could have been someone, well, so could anyone
D A
You took my dreams from me when I first found you
D G
I kept them with me babe, I put them with my own
D G A D
Can't make it all alone, I've built my dreams around you
[Chorus 3]
G G/B D/F# Bm
The boys of the NYPD choir still singing "Galway Bay"
D (N.C.) (D)
And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day
[Outro Instrumental]
| D | D | G | G | D | D | A | A |
Repeat and fade, or end on D
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
Fairytale of New York Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "Fairytale of New York" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "Fairytale of New York" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
