Loreena McKennitt - The highwayman

^AmThe wind was a torrent of darkness a^Cmong the ^Ggusty ^Amtrees ^AmThe moon was a ghostly galleon tossed ^Cupon the ^Gcloudy ^Amseas ^DmThe road was a ^Gribbon of ^Cmoonlight ^Gover the purple moor And the ^Dmhighway^Gman came ^Criding, ^GRiding, riding, The ^Amhighway^Cman came ^Griding, up ^Dmto the old inn-door.

He'd a ^AmFrench cocked hat on his forehead, a ^Cbunch of ^Glace at his ^Amchin, A c^Amoat of claret velvet, and ^Cbreeches of ^Gbrown doe-s^Amkin; They ^Dmfitted with ^Gnary a ^Cwrinkle; his ^Gboots were up to the thigh And he ^Dmrode with a ^Gjewelled ^Ctwinkle, His ^Gpistol butts a-twinkle, His ^Amrapier ^Chilt a-^Gtwinkle, und^Dmer the jewelled sky.

^AmOver the cobbles he clattered and ^Cclashed in the ^Gdark ^Aminnyard, ^AmAnd he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but ^Call was ^Glocked and ^Ambarred; He w^Dmhistled a ^Gtune to the ^Cwindow, and ^Gwho should be waiting there? But the ^Dmlandlord's ^Gblack-eyed d^Caughter, ^GBess, the landlord's daughter, ^AmPlaiting a ^Cdark red ^Glove-knot in^Dmto her long black hair.

"^Am;One kiss, my bonny sweetheart,^C I'm aft^Ger a pri^Amze tonight, But ^AmI shall be back with the yellow gold bef^Core the ^Gmorning ^Amlight; Yet ^Dmif they ^Gpress me ^Csharply, and ^Gharry me through the day, Then l^Dmook for ^Gme by the ^Cmoonlight, ^GWatch for me by the moonlight, I'll c^Amome to ^Cthee by the ^Gmoonlight, though ^Dmhell should bar the way.

He ^Amrose upright in the stirrups; he ^Cscarce could ^Greach her ^Amhand But she l^Amoosened her hair i' the casement! His ^Cface burnt ^Glike a ^Ambrand As the ^Dmblack casc^Gade of ^Cperfume came ^Gtumbling over his breast; And he k^Dmissed its w^Gaves in the ^Cmoonlight, ^G(Oh, sweet waves in the moonlight!) Then he t^Amugged at his ^Crein in the ^Gmoonlight, and g^Dmalloped away to the west.

He ^Amdid not come at the dawning; he ^Cdid not ^Gcome at ^Amnoon, And ^Amout of the tawny sunset, be^Cfore the ^Grise o' the ^Ammoon, When the ^Dmroad was a ^Ggypsy's ^Cribbon, ^Glooping the purple moor, A ^Dmred-coat ^Gtroop came ^Cmarching, ^GMarching, marching King ^AmGeorge's m^Cen came ^Gmarching, up ^Dmto the old inn-door.

They ^Amsaid no word to the landlord, they ^Cdrank his ^Gale instead, But they ^Amgagged his daughter and bound her to the ^Cfoot of her ^Gnarrow bed ^DmTwo of them ^Gknelt at the ^Ccasement, with ^Gmuskets at their side! There was ^Dmdeath at ^Gevery ^Cwindow And ^Ghell at one dark window; For ^AmBess could ^Csee, through the c^Gasement, The ^Dmroad that he would ride.

They had ^Amtied her up to attention, with ^Cmany a ^Gsniggering ^Amjest; They had ^Ambound a musket beside her, with the ^Cbarrel be^Gneath her ^Ambreast! "^Dm;now keep ^Ggood watch!"^C And they kissed her. She ^Gheard the dead man say ^Dm"Look^G for me by^C the moonlight ^GWatch for me by the moonlight I'll c^Amome to t^Chee by the ^Gmoonlight, though ^Dmhell should bar the way!"

She ^Amtwisted her hands behind her, but a^Cll the ^Gknots held ^Amgood! She ^Amwrithed her hands till her fingers were ^Cwet with ^Gsweat or ^Amblood! They ^Dmstretched and ^Gstrained in the ^Cdarkness and the ^Ghours crawled by like years! Till, ^Dmnow, on the ^Gstroke of ^Cmidnight, ^GCold, on the stroke of midnight, The ^Amtip of one ^Cfinger ^Gtouched it! The ^Dmtrigger at least was hers!

^AmTotelot-totelot! Had they heard it? The ^Chorse's ^Ghooves rang ^Amclear ^AmTotelot-totelot, in the distance! Were they d^Ceaf that they ^Gdid not ^Amhear? ^DmDown the ^Gribbon of ^Cmoonlight, ^Gover the brow of the hill, The ^Dmhighwaym^Gan came ^Criding, ^GRiding, riding! The ^Amred-coats ^Clooked to their ^Gpriming! She s^Dmtood up straight and still!

^AmTotelot in the frosty silence! Tote^Clot, in the ^Gechoing ^Amnight! ^AmNearer he came and nearer! Her ^Cface was ^Glike a l^Amight! Her e^Dmyes grew ^Gwide for a ^Cmoment! She ^Gdrew one last deep breath, Then her ^Dmfinger ^Gmoved in the ^Cmoonlight, Her ^Gmusket shattered the moonlight, ^AmShattered her ^Cbreast in the ^Gmoonlight and ^Dmwarned him with her death.

He ^Amturned; he spurred to the west; he ^Cdid not ^Gknow she ^Amstood ^AmBowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched ^Cwith her ^Gown red ^Amblood! Not ^Dmtill the ^Gdawn he ^Cheard it; his ^Gface grew grey to hear How ^DmBess, the ^Glandlord's ^Cdaughter,

The ^Glandlord's black-eyed daughter, Had ^Amwatched for her ^Clove in the ^Gmoonlight, and ^Amdied in the darkness there.

^AmBack, he spurred like a madman, ^Cshrieking a ^Gcurse to the ^Amsky ^AmWith the white road smoking behind him and his ^Crapier ^Gbrandished ^Amhigh! Blood-^Dmred were the ^Gspurs in the ^Cgolden noon; wine-red ^Gwas his velvet coat, When they s^Dmhot him ^Gdown on the ^Chighway, Down ^Glike a dog on the highway, And he ^Amlay in his ^Cblood on the ^Ghighway, with the ^Dmbunch of lace at his throat.

Still ^Amof a winter's night, they say, when the ^Cwind is ^Gin the ^Amtrees, When the ^Ammoon is a ghostly galleon, tossed u^Cpon the ^Gcloudy ^Amseas, When the ^Dmroad is a ^Gribbon of ^Cmoonlight o^Gver the purple moor, A ^Dmhighwaym^Gan comes ^Criding, ^GRiding, riding, A ^Amhighwayman ^Ccomes ^Griding, up ^Dmto the old inn-door.