Wake Up Irene Song Lyrics and Chords by Hank Thompson
Wake Up Irene
Recorded by Hank Thompson
Written by Weldon Allard and Johnny Hathcock
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
For months and months and
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
months around the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
country
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Everybody sang Irene good
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
night
But
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
she wouldn't go to bed no matter what the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
y
said
Though everybody
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
tried with all their
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
might
She stayed awake while
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
steel guitars were a
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
going
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
In every honky-tonk she could be
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
seen
But
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
she finally went to bed and covered up her
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
head
And now there's not
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
a thing can wak
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
e
Irene
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Wakeup Irene you've sleep t
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
o
long
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Wakeup Irene it's time to mov
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
e
along
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Wakeup Irene and pay for your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
bed
Wakeup Irene or
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
folks will think your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
dead
Lot's of guita
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
r pickers by th
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
e
dozen
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
Sang goodnight Irene all night and
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
day
And
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
even Crosby too with his bobobabobe
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
do
Tried to get
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
Irene to hit the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
hay
Well I guess they finally
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
sang her off to
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
slumber
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
They must have tried a million times or
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
more
But
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
oh my aching back when she finally hit the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
sack
Man you ought to
D7
D#7
E7
F7
F#7
G7
G#7
A7
A#7
B7
C7
C#7
hear that women
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
snore
Repeat #3
FAQ
Who sang the the song Wake Up Irene?
- The song Wake Up Irene was sang by Hank Thompson.
Who is Hank Thompson?
- Henry William Thompson (September 3, 1925 - November 6, 2007) was an American country music singer-songwriter and musician whose career spanned seven decades.
Thompson's musical style, characterized as honky-tonk Western swing, was a mixture of fiddles, electric guitar, and steel guitar that featured his distinctive, smooth baritone vocals.
His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the top Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard. Thompson pursued a "light" version of the Western swing sound that Bob Wills and others played the primary difference between his music and that of Bob Wills was that Thompson, who used the swing beat and instrumentation to enhance his vocals, discouraged the intense instrumental soloing from his musicians that Wills encouraged however, the "Hank Thompson sound" exceeded Bob Wills in top-40 country hits.
Although not as prominent on the top country charts in later decades, Thompson remained a recording artist and concert draw well into his 80s.
The 2013 game Grand Theft Auto V featured his song "It Don't Hurt Anymore" in the fictional radio show, Rebel Radio.
The 1987 novel Crazy Heart by Thomas Cobb was inspired by Thompson's life, specifically by his practice of picking up a local band to back him when he toured. In 2009, Cobb's novel was turned into a successful film directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeff Bridges in an Academy Award-winning performance.
