London Apprentice Chords

KeyD CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays492

London Apprentice by Ralph McTell is a beginner-friendly guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords D, G, Em and A. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
D
Text
16
Speed
  			


D                               G                  D 
I am a London apprentice, for I never will learn a trade 
    G               D            Em                 A 
The best that I can hope for, is from mistakes I've made 
  D                          G                      D 
A man who never made any, he never meant nothing at all 
   G                       D            Em                A 
So Christopher Wren had to start again, when he built St. Paul’s 

I am a London apprentice, for I never will learn her ways 
When I walk the streets of London, I am constantly amazed 
How a road I never was on before, leads to one and all 
As any cabbie will tell you, that’s how all knowledge grows 

I am a London apprentice, and I love the muddy Thames 
Pushing his way through the city, just to come back again 
Through plague and conflagration, and when the bombers came 
A symbol of a nation, St. Paul amongst the flames 

I am a London Apprentice and I’ll accept the status quo 
But a cockney must be born, within the silent spells of beau 
And London’s been a refuge, by accident or plan 
So ask me who’s a Londoner, I’ll answer every man 

I am a London apprentice, but one thing I know for sure 
I’ll tell you very bluntly with these words you can’t ignore 
Remember Doctor Johnson, who’s wit cut like a knife 
When a man is tired of London, a man is tired of life 

I am a London apprentice, for I never will learn a trade 
The best that I can hope for, is from mistakes I’ve made 
A man who never made any, he never meant nothing at all 
So Christopher Wren had to start again, when he built St. Paul’s 
    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante