Stan Rogers - Harris and the mare

^F/EbHarris my old friend, good to ^Bbsee your face ^Fagain More ^Bbwelcome though yon trap and that old ^Cmare For the ^Bbwife is in a swoon and I am all ^Falone ^AbHarris fetch thy ^Gmmare and take us ^Fhome

The ^F/Ebwife and I came out for a ^Bbquiet glass of ^Fstout And a ^Bbword or two with neighbours in the ^Croom But young ^BbCleary he came in, drunk and wild as ^Fsin And ^Abswore the wife would ^Gmleave the place with ^Fhim

But the ^F/Ebwife as quick as thought said ?^Bb??No I‘ll blo^Fody not.” And ^Bbstruck the brute a blow about the ^Chead He raised ^Bbup his ugly paw and lashed her on the ^Fjaw And she ^Abfell unto the ^Gmfloor like she were ^Fdead

Now, ^F/EbHarris, well you know, I’ve neve^Bbr struck an angr^Fy blow. Nor ^Bbwould I keep a friend who raised his ^Chands I was a ?^Bb??Conshie” in the war, crying “What the hell??^F?s this for?” But I ^Abhad to see his ^Gmblood to be a ^Fman.

I ^F/Ebgrabbed him by his coat, spun him ^Bbround and took his ^Fthroat And ^Bbbeat his head against the parlour ^Cdoor. He dragged ^Bbout an awful knife and he roared “I’ll have y^Four life.” Then he ^Abstruck me and I ^Gmfell unto the ^Ffloor.

Bl^F/Ebood I was from neck to thigh, bloody ^Bbmurder in his ^Feye, As he ^Bbshouted out “I’ll finish you ^Cfor sure.” But ^Bbas the knife came down I lashed out from the ^Fground And the ^Abknife was in his ^Gmbreast when he rolled ^Fo’er

With the ^F/Ebwife as cold as clay, I ^Bbcarried her ^Faway No h^Bband was raised to help us through the ^Cdoor And I’v^Bbe brought her half a mile, but I’ve had to r^Fest awhile And ^Abnone of them I’l^Gml call a friend th^Fe more

For ^F/Ebwhen the knife came down, I was ^Bbhelpless on the ^Fground No ^Bbneighbour stayed his hand I was ^Calone By ^BbGod! I was a man, but now I cannot ^Fstand Please, ^AbHarris, fetch they ^Gmmare and take us ^Fhome

Oh, ^F/EbHarris, fetch thy mare and ^Bbtake us out of ^Fhere In my ^Bbnine and fifty years I’d neve^Cr known That to ^Bbcall myself a man for my loved one I must ^Fstand Now, ^AbHarris, fetch thy ^Gmmare, and take us ^Fhome.