Paul | Guitar Lessons and Performance - Paul Elwood

When Irish Eyes are Smilin’

When Irish Eyes are Smilin’ guitar chords ”

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” is a lighthearted song in tribute to Ireland. Its lyrics were written by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, Jr., set to music composed by Ernest Ball, for Olcott’s production of The Isle O’ Dreams, and Olcott sang the song in the show. It was first published in 1912, at a time when songs in tribute to a romanticised Ireland were very numerous and popular both in Britain and the United States. During the First World War the famous tenor John McCormack recorded the song.

The song continued to be a familiar standard for generations. Decades later it was used as the opening song on the American radio show Duffy’s Tavern. The song has been recorded on over 200 singles and albums and by many famous singers, including Bing Crosby, Connie Francis, and Roger Whittaker.

“There are a million things in music I know nothing about. I just want to narrow down that figure.” – Andre Previn

Paul2026-03-16T11:37:03-04:00

Lola

Say no to almost everything – Warren Buffett

Paul2026-03-16T19:23:27-04:00

Monkey and the Engineer

check the video below for the “how to play Monkey and the Engineer” lesson.

Lyrics and chord sheet for Monkey and the Engineer are here

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Red Auerbach

Paul2026-03-17T09:13:04-04:00

Oh Darlin’

Download the chord and lyric sheet here!

“Oh! Darling” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, appearing as the fourth song on their eleventh studio album Abbey Road (1969). It was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Its working title was “Oh! Darling (I’ll Never Do You No Harm)”. Although not issued as a single in either the United Kingdom or the United States, a regional subsidiary of Capitol successfully edited it as a single in Central America, having “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” as its B-side. It was also issued as a single in Portugal. Apple Records released “Oh! Darling” in Japan with “Here Comes the Sun” in June 1970.

Background

McCartney later said of recording the track, “When we were recording ‘Oh! Darling’ I came into the studios early every day for a week to sing it by myself because at first my voice was too clear. I wanted it to sound as though I’d been performing it on stage all week.” He would only try the song once each day; if it was not right he would wait until the next day. According to sound engineer Alan Parsons, McCartney once lamented that “five years ago I could have done this […]

Paul2026-03-10T16:23:31-04:00

Lean on Me

lean on me exercise

Paul2026-03-10T16:16:08-04:00

Georgia on My Mind

The chords and lyrics are below, and the video illustrates some fairly easy fingering for the changes on this lovely Hoagy Carmichael song, made famous by the great Ray Charles. Georgia was written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Stuart Gorrell (lyrics). Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy’s sister, Georgia Carmichael. The lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer either to the state or to a woman named “Georgia”, a fact I only came to realize recently.

Please Enjoy! And if you’re interested in guitar lessons online, give me a shout.

[Intro] C C#dim | Dm7 G (2X)

CM7 | E7 | Am Am7 | D7 Fm
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through

C Am | Dm G | C C#o | Dm7 G
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind (on my mind)

CM7 | Bdim E7 | Am Am7 | D7 Fm
I said Georgia, Georgia, a song of you

C A7 | Dm G7 | C6 F Fm | C E7

Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines

Am Dm | Am F7 | […]

Paul2026-03-10T11:42:34-04:00

I’ll Be Your Baby

“I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” is a 1967 song by Bob Dylan first released on John Wesley Harding. It features Pete Drake on pedal steel guitar, and two other Nashville musicians, Charlie McCoy on bass guitar and Kenneth Buttrey on drums, both of whom had appeared on Dylan’s previous album, Blonde on Blonde.

Dylan first performed the song in concert at the Isle of Wight Festival with the Band on August 31, 1969. Since then, he has included it in more than 650 live performances. “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” has been covered by many artists, including Robert Palmer with UB40 in 1990.

Dylan’s I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight was the first track on the 1968 CBS budget sampler album The Rock Machine Turns You On which, in the aftermath of the 1960s British dominance of pop music, was a successful marketing exercise in introducing the UK audience to contemporary USA pop output.

“Charlie Christian showed me a lot and was a great help, but even then, I realized that if I was going to make it, it was no use copying Charlie.” – Barney Kessel

Paul2026-03-09T19:48:02-04:00

Help me Make it Through The Night

Help Me Make It Through the Night” is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album Kristofferson. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album Help Me Make It Through the Night. In 1982, Kris did a re-recording with Brenda Lee for the compilation album The Winning Hand. It has been covered since by many other artists from Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, Bryan Ferry, Mark Eitzel, Tyler Childers and Engelbert Humperdinck also as a duet between Michael Bublé and Loren Allred.

Smith’s recording of the song (in May 1970) remains the most commercially successful, and best-known, version in the United States. Her recording ranks among the most successful country singles of all time in terms of sales, popularity, and radio airplay. It topped the country singles chart, and was also a crossover hit, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop singles chart. “Help Me Make It Through The Night” also became Smith’s signature song.

In May 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 71 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.

“Good […]

Paul2026-03-16T19:20:43-04:00

Every Breath You Take

Ingtro G | G | Em | Em | C | D | G

                  G Em
Every breath you take Every move you make
                  C D
Every bond you break Every step you take
                 Em
I’ll be watching you
G Em
Every single day And every word you say
               C D
Every game you play Every night you stay
                 G
I’ll be watching you

C C7 G
Oh can’t you see, you belong to me
A7 D
My poor heart aches, with every breath you take
G Em
Every […]

Paul2026-03-09T19:48:19-04:00

How to play “Fools Fall in Love”

“Fools Fall in Love” is a song by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by the Drifters, who took it to number 10 on the R&B chart in 1957. The song reached number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1977, “Fools Fall in Love” was recorded by Jacky Ward. His version reached number 9 on the US country music chart, and number 16 on the Canadian country chart.

Sammy Turner recorded a version in 1960.
Elvis Presley recorded a more up-tempo version on May 28, 1966. His rendition, charting in tandem with “Indescribably Blue“, reached number 11 in Australia. Elvis’s cover also reached number 102 in the U.S. as a separate B-side.

“If you’re into what you’re playing, that’s the most important thing.” – James Hetfield

Paul2026-03-10T15:50:33-04:00

About Paul

Background