The Pogues - Once Upon a Time: Ukulele Chords

Learn to play "Once Upon a Time" on your ukulele with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to play this song on the ukulele, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn Once Upon a Time ukulele chords and lyrics

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the ukulele chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "Once Upon a Time" smoothly on your ukulele.

     E                  C#m
The hour's late and the lights are low
A                      B
I'm walking home just kicking stones
   E                  C#m
I waited at the depot you never showed
                A               B
You missed the last bus hours ago

     E
I remember the first time
   C#m
I saw you on the street
E                        A
You looked so pretty my heart skipped a beat
         A                      B
I can't wait any longer but I still feel the heat
     E                        B
I'm down but I'm still on my feet

I walked on down by the old fairground
Up from the docks blew a lonely sound
I sat for a while on the cold hard ground
Watched the stars slowly turn as
the earth spun around

As the past falls behind, up ahead there's a crack
Of light shining bright through the night so black
Like a runaway train rolling down the track
From here, there's no turning back

Chorus:
 E
Listen to me baby
Once upon a time
    A
My heart was an ocean
      B
You swam against the tide
     E
The time is past for grieving
My tears have all run dry
      A
I'll leave you with my love
     B
And now I say goodbye

The bottle's broken, the glasses are cracked
The cards are all dealt and the chips have
been stacked
The lampshade's busted and the curtains are torn
The door keeps knocking but there's nobody home

I stood by the road, brushed a tear from my eye
Cursed the cars and the rain and the rolling skies
I turned around, turned my back on that town
I never looked back again

Chorus

Listen to me, baby, once upon a time
My heart was an ocean, you swam against the tide
The time has passed for grieving,
my tears have all run dry
I leave you with my love and now I say goodbye

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Ukulele Chord Diagrams

A

Ukulele chord A

B

Ukulele chord B

C#m

Ukulele chord C#m

E

Ukulele chord E

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each ukulele chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "Once Upon a Time" on the guitar, check out the chords on our sister site: Guitar Chords for "Once Upon a Time" by The Pogues.

The Pogues Song List