The Pogues - Bastard Landlord: Guitar Chords

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

Learn Bastard Landlord Guitar Chords and Lyrics by The Pogues

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

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

A                             Bm             D
Oh Lord won't you tell me I'm sure I don't know,
D                          A               E
Who makes the plans that change our lives so,
A                               Bm           D
From a place in the country so peaceful and calm,
D                             A
We moved up to London as the bombs fell around,

         E                          D
On a street by the river where the rent it was cheap
D                             A        E
The Landlord he told us "Its yours to keep",
      A              Bm         D
For regular payment week after week,
D                                 A
You'll always have a roof under which you can sleep.

The years, they passed by, the war came to an end
We lived out our lives, did nothing to offend
But the landlord's conditions, yearly, they grew
With the size of his gut and his housing values

He'd kneel on a Sunday and pray to the Lord
For ideals of love his world can't afford
When the bastard, he came 'round to raise up
the rent
We swallowed our pride and we smiled our best

Chorus:
  D                 G
Bricks and mortar, Kingdom of Stone,
  A                         D
Where do you go when you're all alone,
         G                A
They'll carve your name where you lie,
   Bm             G
And I for one no tears will cry.

Greed knows no boundaries, greed does not feel
I'm damned if I'll die for a property deal
The woman next door, she just passed away
For the rent grew so high that she just couldn't pay

And here in her bed, she closed up her eyes
The last time she gazed on this world of lies
With nowhere to go and nothing to say
She went to the next world and the bastard,
he smiled

Chorus:
Bricks and mortar, a kingdom of stone
And when you go, you're all alone
They'll carve your name where you lie
And I, for one, no tears will cry

Oh Lord, won't you tell me, I'm sure I don't know
What makes some people so callous and cold?
I've lived in this house for forty-four years
My children were born here, it's here I'll grow old

A curse on you, bastard landlord, be damned
Who needs one more house like a beach needs
more sand?
I'll stay 'til I'm done, only then will I go
'Twas never meant one man should treat others so


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

Bm

Guitar chord Bm

D

Guitar chord D

E

Guitar chord E

G

Guitar chord G

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar 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 "Bastard Landlord" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Bastard Landlord" by The Pogues.

The Pogues Song List