(Dsus2) (D) (Dsus4) (D) (Dsus2) (D) (Dsus4) (D) 

[Verse]
      D
Grand daddy used to sit me on his knee,
    Am7                       G
And tell me how it was in the old country.
D
Famine and floods and crops that failed,
    Am7                    G              D
I'd listen for hours as he told his tale.

[Instrumental]
Dsus2 D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D Dsus4 D

[Verse]
                D
He said, 'There must have been a curse on the family name,'
       Am7                      G
But he swore he'd be the one to break that chain.
         D
With the money he saved by the sweat of his brow,
     Am7                        G             D
He'd get 'em out of there, some day, somehow.
         G                   C/G      G
Well, he never was much of a gamblin' man.
       D
But he dreamed of passage to the 'promised land'.
G                      C/G       G     A
Bet it all on a better life in A meric a,
                F                        C               D
He said, 'We'll change our fate and this danged O'Reilly luck.'

[Instrumental] (x2)
(Dsus2) (D) (Dsus4) (D) (Dsus2) (D) (Dsus4) (D) 

[Verse]
      D
I can only imagine the look on his face,
Am7                      G
Tickets in hand, as they counted the days.
   D
El even passports, no turnin' back,
   Am7                          G               D
De cidin' what they should, and shouldn't pack.

[Instrumental]
Dsus2 D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D Dsus4 D

[Verse]
        D
But the baby caught the fever, just days before,
        Am7                    G
And the doctor hung a sheet on their front door.
    D
For two long weeks, they were quarantined,
     Am7                       G               D
Stra nded with nothin' but his shattered dream
         G                   C/G      G
Well, he never was much of a gamblin' man.
       D
But he dreamed of passage to the 'promised land'.
G                      C/G       G     A
Bet it all on a better life in A meric a,
                F                        C               D
He said, 'We'll change our fate and this danged O'Reilly luck.'

[Chorus]
F
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
C                               G           D
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
F
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
C                               G           D
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,

[Verse]
      D
Grand daddy told his story, till he passed away.
        Am7                         G
How the people all cheered from the dock that day.
         D
While he shook his fist with a tear in his eye.
       Am7                   G
At the beautiful ship of the White Star line.
       F                       C               D
And he cursed his fate and his danged O'Reilly luck,
       F              C               D
As the mighty Titanic sailed into the sun.
         G                   C/G     G
Well, he never was much of a gamblin man,
       D
But he found his way to the promised land,
G                      C/G        G    A
Bet it all on a better life in Am eric a,
                F                        C               D
He said, 'We'll change our fate and this danged O'Reilly luck,
     G               D
This danged O'Reilly luck

[Chorus]
F
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
C                   G                       D
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
F
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
C                   G                       D
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
F
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
C                   G                       D
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
F
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
C                   G                       D
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,