Transcribed by Chris Bartlett (c.bartlett@ling.canterbury.ac .nz)

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the  #
# song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Sequence: Intro, V1, Ch, V2, Ch, Break, V3, Ch, V4, Ch, Break.

INTRO/BREAK:
   Dm(no 3rd)               C
3/4,   .   ,   .   ,   . 2/4,     .     ,     .       ,   .   ,   .
D|-0----------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
B|-3----------------------|-1-----------------------|-----------------|
G|-2----------------------|-0-----------------0h2p0-|-----------------|
D|-0----------------------|-2-----------0h2p0-------|-2p0-------------|
A|-0-----------------0h2--|-3-----------------------|-----3p0-5p3-3p0-|
D|-0----------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|


  Dm(no 3rd)                        C
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,     .     ,     .
|-0--------------|----------------|-------------------------|
|-3--------------|----------------|-1-----------------------|
|-2--------------|----------------|-0-----------------0h2p0-|
|-0--------------|----------------|-2-----------0h2p0-------|
|-0--------------|-----------0h2--|-3-----------------------|
|-0--------------|----------------|-------------------------|


                   Dm(no 3rd)
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .   ,   .   ,   .
|----------------|-0-------------|---------------|
|----------------|-3-------------|---------------|
|----------------|-2-------------|---------------|
|-2p0------------|-0-------------|---------------|
|-----3p0-5p3----|-0-------------|---------------|
|-------------3*-|-0-------------|-0-------------|


VERSE:

  Dm(no 3rd)
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,     .     ,
.
|-0--------------|----------------|-0--------------|-----------------------|
|-3--------------|----------------|-3--------------|-----------------------|
|-2--------------|----------------|-2-------2---0--|-----------------------|
|-0--------------|----------------|-0--------------|-3-----2-----0h2p0-----|
|-0--------------|----------------|-0--------------|-------------------3---|
|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|-----------------------|
                              God  rest ye  merry   gen-  tle-  men     let

                   Am                                Dm(no 3rd)
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-0--------------|
|----------------|-1--------------|----------------|-3--------------|
|-------------0--|-2--------------|----------------|-2-------2---0--|
|-0---2---3------|-0h2------------|-0h2------------|-0--------------|
|----------------|-0--------------|----------------|-0--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-0--------------|

 nothing you  dismay                            re- member Christ  our

                                            Am
  ,     .     ,     .      ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .

|------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|------------------------|----------------|-1--------------|----------------|
|------------------------|-------------0--|-2--------------|----------------|
|-3-----2-----0h2p0------|-0---2---3------|-0h2------------|-0h2------------|
|-------------------3----|----------------|-0--------------|-------------0--|
|------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  sa-        viour was    born on Christmas day                          to


  Bb6              Am      Dm(no 3rd)                C
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .
|-0--------------|---------0------|----------------|----------------|
|-3--------------|-1-------3------|----------------|-1--------------|
|-0--------------|-2-------2------|-2h0-----0---2--|-0-----------0--|
|-0--------------|-2-------0------|-----3----------|-2-------3------|
|-1--------------|-0-------0------|----------------|-3--------------|
|----------------|---------0------|----------------|----------------|
save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray      oh

CHORUS:

  Dm(no 3rd)       C                Dm(no 3rd)       C
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .
|-0--------------|----------------|-0--------------|-----------------|
|-3--------------|-1--------------|-3--------------|-1---------------|
|-2--------------|-0--------------|-2-------2p0----|-0---------------|
|-0--------------|-2--------------|-0-----------3--|-2-------2p0-0-0-|
|-0--------------|-3--------------|-0--------------|-3---------------|
|-0--------------|----------------|-0--------------|-----------------|
 ti-    dings of  com-   fort and  joy   comfort and joy

                   F6      Em7+6    Dm7sus4  C         Dm(no 3rd)
  ,   .   ,   .    ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .     ,   .   ,   .

|----------------|-------0-------0-|-----------------|-0--------------|
|---------1------|-----1-------1---|-------1-------1-|-3-----------1--|
|-----0----------|-----------0-----|-----0-------0---|-2--------------|
|-0h2------------|-3-------2-------|---3-------2-----|-0--------------|
|----------------|-----------------|-5-------3-------|-0--------------|
|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0--------------|
          oh       ti-   dings of    com-   fort and  joy

  ,   .   ,   .
|----------------|
|-1h3------------|
|----------------|
|----------------|
|----------------|
|----------------|

V2:
In Bethlehem in Jewry this blessed babe was born
and laid within a manger upon this blessed morn
for which his mother Mary did nothing they can scorn

V3:
>From God our heavenly father a blessed angel came
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
how that in Bethlehem was born the son of God by name

V4:
Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place
and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace
this holy tide of Christmas how others doth deface

1. The strumming pattern is not indicated above (listen to the recording). Although I've indicated that full chords are played on the first beat of many bars, Cockburn often hits the bass note only on the beat and strums the rest of the chord after the beat.
2. In the third and seventh bars of the Intro/Break section there are minor options. 3* in bar seven is fretted at 3 on the 6th string in the Intro, but in breaks 1 and 2 it is fingered at the second fret, bent up before being played, then played and lowered (to give a bent down effect).