Sam Jenkins Chords by Damien Dempsey

Sam Jenkins Chords by Damien Dempsey

[Intro]
        D       G
        D       G
        D       G


[Verse 1]
 
    D              G         D                      G
My name it is Sam Jenkins I come from old Whitington Hill  
    D              G                  D             A   Em
My people bow their heads down to the Lord of the manor still.
    D              G        D                 G
I grew up mean and hungry, dirty and poor and sick
    D              G                  D             A          Em
I tried my best for not to steal, too afraid of the Van Diemen ships

[Verse 2]
         D            G                D                G
Well the only road to money it was the road to the army gates
  D                   G         D          A            Em
I took that road in ’45 with a gang of my Staffordshire mates
         D                 G            D               G
We were shipped across to Ireland some rebellions for to quell
  D                 G           D             A         Em
Stationed North of Galway in a landscape that mirrored hell

[Verse 3]
Bm                           A
When we sailed into Galway before my head and pride
         G                                 Bm               G
I will never forget the skeletons with a crazed look in their eyes
Bm                                     A
And their little children wailing as hunger ate them alive
G                                                Em            G
When I realised what I was doing there, with the shame I nearly died

[Verse 4]
     D              G                  D               G
The food removal regiments, we were there to guard the food
     D              G                       D          A         Em
Being shipped each day to England while the starving they were subdued
     D                    G                 D          G
They said we needed the food more, for our hungry boys abroad
        D                G                     D         A          Em
And the Irish apes who farmed it they weren’t men in the eyes of the lord


[Verse 5]
Bm                                A
My dear friend Billy Cooper he couldn’t console himself
        G                   D                Em               G
From a cherry tree in the back field he was hanging by his belt
Bm                                   A
In the 41st foot regiment, just north of Galway town
     G                          Em              G
I felt myself the servent of a devil in a crown.

[Verse 6]

  D             G           D               G
I disobeyed an order, I refused to shoot a man
  D                         G
Now stripped of my gun and uniform
      D            A         Em
I am bound for Van Diemen's land

[Verse 7]
     D                  G
You rogues who rule Britannia
       D                G
May you burn in hell for good
      D               G
Us poor we do your dirty work
           D             A           Em
Then you dine on our flesh and blood