Skip to song content

Pentangle - Lord Franklin Ukulele Chords

ChordsD, G, Em, A
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Ukulele D chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-0Ukulele D chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram
  • Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram


[D]I was homeward bound one night [G]on the deep
[Em]Swinging in my hammock I [A]fell asleep
I [D]dreamed a dream and I [G]thought it [D]true
[Em]Concerning [A]Franklin and his [G]gallant [D]crew[G]


[D]With a hundred seamen he [G]sailed away
[Em]O’er frozen oceans in the [A]month of May
[D]To seek a passage a[G]round the [D]pole
[Em]Where we poor [A]seamen must [G]sometimes [D]go[G]


[D]Through cruel hardships they [G]mainly strove
[Em]Their ship on mountains of [A]ice was drove
[D]Only the Eskimo with his [G]skin ca[D]noe
[Em]Was the only [A]one that [G]ever came [D]through [G]


[D] [G] [Em] [A] [D] [G]
[D] [Em] [A] [G] [D] [G]
[D]In Baffin’s Bay where the [G]whale fishes blow
[Em]The fate of Franklin no [A]man may know
[D]The fate of Franklin no [G]tongue can [D]tell
[Em]Lord Franklin [A]alone with his [G]sailors does [D]dwell[G]


[D]And now my body it [G]gives me pain
[Em]For my long lost Franklin I would [A]cross the main
[D]Ten thousand pounds I would [G]freely [D]give
[Em]To know on [A]earth that my [G]Franklin does [D]live [G] [D] [A] [G]

ArtistPentangle
AlbumCruel Sister
GenresFolk
Year1970
KeyD
DifficultyEasy

How to play Lord Franklin on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Pentangle - Lord Franklin on ukulele requires 4 chords and 6 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Lord Franklin uses these transitions most often: D → G (18), G → D (18), and Em → A (12). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D - G chord transition.

1. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
D to G

2. G → Em chord transition

To move from G to Em;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on C string fret 4.
G to Em

3. Em → A chord transition

To move from Em to A;

  1. While playing Em, lift your ring finger from C string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
Em to A

4. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
A to D

5. D → Em chord transition

To move from D to Em;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 4.

6. A → G chord transition

To move from A to G;

  1. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 3.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Lord Franklin.

  • Lord Franklin includes 74 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Lord Franklin contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Lord Franklin connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (28%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 28%
    • D → A: 17%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → D: 24%
    • G → Em: 9%