Aug52020

Willie Watson – Birmingham Mill Chord Progression on Piano & Ukulele

ChordsG D Em C

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
G G G G
G G D D
G G Em Em
D C Em Em
D D G G

[Verse 1]
G
One fair girl with fine
 yellow hair
     G                      D
Wild flower of the west country
G                    Em
Left one night for a stormy ride
     D       C      
On a winding road to
     Em   D G
 the east

[Verse 2]
G
One fair girl at the
 Birmingham Mill
      G                
For a dollar and a half 
       D
times three
        G                    
See the spinning wheels turn, 
        Em
she is young but she'll learn
         D             C    
With her slender white hands 
    Em    D G
to weave

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[Verse 3]
G
Twelve small stacks in a row 
row row
      G                  D
And a girl of five times three
        G                     
See the mill boss patrol, hear 
     Em
the factory bells toll
        D             C          Em
And the girls look as sad as can be
        D                      G
And she cried for her home country

[Interlude]
G G G G
G G D D
G G Em Em
D C Em Em
D D G G

[Verse 4]
G
One little spark set a light 
to a flame
        G                  
And the fire climbed through
         D
 to the east
        G                      
And the roof it crashed and the
 Em
 girls all dashed
         D          C      Em
And they all cried "oh god please"
        D                   
And she crawled on her hands
         G
 and her knees

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[Interlude]
G G G G
G G D D
G G Em Em
D C Em Em
D D G G

[Verse 5]
       G
At the Birmingham Mill where 
the wild flowers grow
          G                    D
Round the grave of the girl so fair
        G                      
See the lilly bells bloom round 
     Em
her cold marble tomb
         D           C      
And they come in the spring 
       Em   D G
of the year

How to play Birmingham Mill: key, chords and progression

This is the chords of Birmingham Mill by Willie Watson on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

Birmingham Mill by Willie Watson is built around G major (one sharp: F♯), with 4 chords in all: G, D, Em and C.

The backbone of the song is G – D – G – Em (I – V – I – vi in G major). In solfa, that is doh – soh – doh – lah. Practise these 4 changes until they feel natural and you can play most of it.

Beginner-friendly: every chord here is an open shape on guitar: no capo, no barre chords needed.