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Thread: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

  1. #1
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    Default Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Anyone got the sheet music or tabs? I've figured a version out by ear (in D), but it would be nice to compare it with something more "official". Also, is he lifting a traditional Irish tune for the lead melody lines on this song or is it original?

  2. #2
    mandolin slinger Steve Ostrander's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    I play this tune with my band. I don't have tab but the chord progression goes like this:

    D-G-D-G-D-Bm-D-A-D

    I believe there is a YouTube video of Steve Earle playing this tune solo mandolin.
    Living’ in the Mitten

  3. #3
    jbmando RIP HK Jim Broyles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Yeah, I knew this song was requested before. Here's a tab I found on a tab request thread at Mudcat.org. NOTE: The forum (Mandolin Cafe) does not format the tab right even if you use Courier New font. The original poster's instruction (bolded) to copy it to Notepad and use Courier or Courier New, does work when you copy it from the linked location.

    Subject: Tune Add: GALWAY GIRL (Steve Earle)
    From: DaveP
    Date: 05 May 08 - 05:43 PM

    I converted the ABC into Mandolin TAB using a program I wrote a few years ago. The TAB looks wrong here because of the proportionally spaced font.
    Copy the section between the @@@@@@ lines into notepad and change the font to "Courier" or "courier new" it should then look OK.
    If it works for you see thread
    Tech: FREE ABC to TAB software
    where you get guided to a totally free copy of the converter.

    Any queries PM me
    DaveP

    @@@@@@@@@

    Galway Girl
    Time signature = 4/4 DefaultNoteLengh = 1/8 Key = D

    E 4 |-----|---------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|---------|
    A |-----|---------------|-----------0-|-2-2-2-4-5-4-|-2-0-0---0-|-2-2-0---|
    D 4 |-0-2-|-4-2-4-2-0-0-2-|-4-4-4-2-0---|-------------|-------4---|-------4-|
    G |-----|---------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|---------|
    e e q _____ q e e q q e e e e q q e e e e q q q e e q q q q
    =2*e

    E 4 |-----------|-------------|---------|-----------|---------|
    A |-----------|-------------|-------0-|-2-0-2-0-2-|-4-5-2-0-|
    D 4 |-5-4-5-4-0-|-2-2-2-4-5-4-|-2-0-0---|-----------|---------|
    G |-----------|-------------|---------|-----------|---------|
    e e q q q q q e e e e q q q q . e . e q q q q q
    q q

    E 4 |-------------|---------|-----------|-----------|-------------|--- |
    A |-0-2-0-------|---0-2-2-|-0-----0---|-----------|-------------|---:|
    D 4 |-------5-4-2-|-2-------|---4-5---5-|-4-0-2-2-0-|-2-4-5-4-2-0-|-0- |
    G |-------------|---------|-----------|-----------|-------------|--- |
    e e e e q h q q q q q q e e q q q q e e e e e e q q h

    @@@@@@@@@
    Last edited by Jim Broyles; Oct-11-2008 at 10:11pm. Reason: Added link to original tab.Tried to fix font. Added notes.
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  4. #4

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Intro:

    D D


    Verse 1:

    D
    Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk

    .......D........A......G
    On a day -I-ay-I-ay

    D
    I met a little girl and we stopped to talk

    ......G...........D
    On a fine soft day -I-ay

    .......G..........D....................G........D
    And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do

    ..............Bm...........................G...... .......D
    'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue

    .......G.............D.............G.........D
    And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl

    ...............Bm......................G........D
    'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl


    Bridge:

    D / / / Bm / G D
    D / / / A / G D


    Verse 2:

    D
    We were halfway there when the rain came down

    G
    On a day -I-ay-I-ay

    D
    And she asked me up to her flat downtown

    D G D
    Of a fine soft day -I-ay-I-ay

    G D G D
    And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do

    Bm G D
    'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue

    G D G D
    So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl

    Bm G D
    And I lost my heart to a Galway girl



    BRIDGE (2X)


    Verse 3:

    D G
    When I woke up I was all alone

    D G D
    With a broken heart and a ticket home

    G D G D
    And I ask you now, tell me what would you do

    Bm A G D
    If her hair was black and her eyes were blue

    G D G D

    'Cause I've traveled around. I've been all over this world

    Bm G D
    Boys I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl


    BRIDGE (3X)

    The bridge I picked up easily because it was played on a tinwhistle. I make a mando tab but I have difficulty showing the time. Here are the tonic solfa notes:

    d r m r d r m m m r d
    l l t d t l s m
    s l l s m f m r m
    r r r m f m r d d

    l l s l t d t l
    s s f m r r
    l l s m f m r m
    r r r m f m r d d

    I use a lot of cuts, crans and rolls - (read slides, triplets, and hammers) to get the flow.

    Good Luck.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Sorry about the chords being on top of each other, they looked fine when I posted it and when I edit it.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    I've added dots to the first verse and chorus to show the chord spacing.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Thanks. I'd already figured the chord changes out but the tabbed melody line is cool too see. I already have a passable version, but I wasn't teribly pleased with a few bars and wanted to see what others had come up with. I'm looking forward to playing it when I get home.

    So, I'm curious did he lift the lead melody line from an existing Irish reel or did he make it up himself?

  8. #8

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    If he did then its one I haven't heard before... but then again just a change of tempo can yield a different tune....

  9. #9
    Registered User Jim MacDaniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Found this great version on youtube, with Sharon Shannon sharing the stage with Steve at the Kennedy Center Gala for Irish Music:
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  10. #10

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Not to shabby! That's Donal Lunney on the bouzouki...

  11. #11
    Registered User Jim MacDaniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie Sheehy View Post
    That's Donal Lunney on the bouzouki...
    Wow, you're right; I don't know how I missed him or his upside down zouk.
    Last edited by Jim MacDaniel; Aug-27-2009 at 7:00pm.
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  12. #12

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Ok, I'm going crazy trying to play, I can't figure out what D chord he's playing, I don't think it's the "standard" D



    Can anyone tell me what D chord he is playing?

    I think the G is:




    Thanks to the previous posters for getting me started on this song!





  13. #13
    Registered User Earl Gamage's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Just food for thought, Earle does use that D chord but he reaches for the B note on the G string for a G chord sometimes (at least that's what I think goes on on Copperhead Road). I have not listened to Galway Girl but that may be why it does not sound normal to you. This is just a wag but it might help you think it out.

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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    That song became the bane of my life whenever i have returned home... every second jack or nancy, on seeing the mandolin presumed that i'd know it... i did not.

    That youtube video is my first time hearing it in full... another fine bootstomper from Mr Earle, i suppose theres worse things to be hassled for

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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8942

    Maybe this is what you're after?
    david blair

  16. #16
    Registered User Greg Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Working on this talk now and almost have it licked but having problems on the line "On a fine soft day ay ay".

    I have tried playing it:
    ......G...........D
    On a fine soft day -I-ay

    and

    ......D...........G
    On a fine soft day -I-ay

    Neither way sounds right. What is Steve doing there? Any help appreciated!

  17. #17
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Wilson View Post
    Working on this talk now and almost have it licked but having problems on the line "On a fine soft day ay ay".
    I played the song with a band before and we tried about A -> D and G -> D (as you did) and we eventually settled on G->D since it sounds better.

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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Now you've got me going on this song. Perfect for singing in the pub, which is what I usually do. I only knew it by the Elders before this though:



    That's a live version, where you can see them playing, but the sound is not too great. Here's a link to a recorded version with better sound.



    Great song. Gotta go practice. Gotta stop finding new songs to learn until I catch up some.

  19. #19
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    We recently recorded a version of it in D just for ourselves. Sounded pretty good. Fun song to sing.
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandoviol View Post
    We recently recorded a version of it in D just for ourselves. Sounded pretty good. Fun song to sing.
    I do like the Elders version I posted (well, I AM Irish) and tried to play along with it, using the chords posted here. Apparently, they don't play it in D like Steve does, so I went back to Steve's version. The Elders do the lyrics a bit different too. Really nice song though.

  21. #21

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Steve is selling that Jimmy Moon mandolin ( from the Kennedy Center video) by the way. I don't know where it is now, probably Matty has it in the Village-- Steve likes to hang at Umanov Guitars so that is who would be handling it .Steve is not interested in selling the Gil..

  22. #22
    Registered User Jim MacDaniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Anyone ever see him play his Vox/Hammertone/Phantom-inspired Spicer eMando as below? (I've never seen him play it live or in a vid, and wonder if he still even has it.)

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  23. #23
    jbmando RIP HK Jim Broyles's Avatar
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    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Didn't work.
    Last edited by Jim Broyles; May-02-2011 at 11:34am. Reason: Tried to align chords with words.
    "I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is."~John Mellencamp

    "Theory only seems like rocket science when you don't know it. Once you understand it, it's more like plumbing!"~John McGann

    "IT'S T-R-E-M-O-L-O, dangit!!"~Me

  24. #24

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Steve is a hound for sure when it comes to instruments. He's pretty knowledgeable about them I've found. Did you ever see the Kopple interview? He's sitting in a room with a 20 foot row of guitars hanging on hooks and in the space between the next 20 foot row of guitars is a set of drums set up and the logo on the base drum says "The Beatles". He shared that studio with someone so maybe they weren't ALL his. He was still in Nashville when that interview took place. Mostly I see that he is using his Gilchrist and his Martin "Steve Earle" signature model that he designed with Matt Umanov. He lives in New York now so I wonder if he has the space for all of that.

  25. #25

    Default Re: Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Wilson View Post
    Working on this talk now and almost have it licked but having problems on the line "On a fine soft day ay ay".

    I have tried playing it:
    ......G...........D
    On a fine soft day -I-ay

    and

    ......D...........G
    On a fine soft day -I-ay

    Neither way sounds right. What is Steve doing there? Any help appreciated!
    I think A to D sounds best, personally. I don't actually know what everyone else in the group is playing...

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