About

Songs that belong to everyone

This is a growing collection of lyrics with chords for songs in the public domain — hymns, carols, spirituals, and traditional folk ballads whose words and melodies are free for anyone to play, print, and arrange.

One song, any instrument

Chords are the same whichever instrument you hold — a G is a G on guitar, ukulele, or piano. Every song page lets you switch the chord diagrams to your instrument, and transpose up or down so the key fits your voice. The diagrams are worked out by rule, not guessed, so what you see is always playable.

Why only public-domain songs

Sheet music, tab, and printed chords for modern songs are controlled by music publishers. Songs old enough to have entered the public domain carry no such restriction. In the United States a musical composition enters the public domain 95 years after publication — as of 2026, that means anything published in 1930 or earlier. We publish only those, and we arrange them fresh rather than copying anyone else's transcription.

Found a mistake?

These arrangements are made to be simple and singable. If a chord looks off or a verse reads wrong, it can be corrected — the aim is a version that's easy to pick up and play.