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Phil Ochs lyrics The Highwayman lyrics By Alfred Noyes --------------------------------- Part One I The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding- Riding-riding- The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. II He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin, A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin; They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh! And he rode with a jewelled twinkle, His pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky. III Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred; He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair. IV And dark in the old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked; His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay, But he loved the landlord's daughter, The landlord's red-lipped daughter, Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say- V ";One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night, But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, Then look for me by moonlight, Watch for me by moonlight, I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."; VI He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand, But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast; And he kissed its waves in the moonlight, (Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!) Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West. Part Two I He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon; And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon, When the road was a gipsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor, A red-coat troop came marching- Marching-marching- King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door. II They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead, But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed; Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side! There was death at every window; And hell at one dark window; For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride. III They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest; They bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast! ";Now keep good watch!"; and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say- Look for me by moonlight; Watch for me by moonlight; I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way! IV She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good! She writhed her hands till here fingers were wet with sweat or blood! They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years, Till, now, on the stroke of midnight, Cold, on the stroke of midnight, The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers! V The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest! Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast, She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again; For the road lay bare in the moonlight; Blank and bare in the moonlight; And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain. VI Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear; Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear? Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, The highwayman came riding, Riding, riding! The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up strait and still! VII Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night ! Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light! Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath, Then her finger moved in the moonlight, Her musket shattered the moonlight, Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death. VIII He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood! Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear How Bess, the landlord's daughter, The landlord's black-eyed daughter, Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there. IX Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky, With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high! Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat, When they shot him down on the highway, Down like a dog on the highway, And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat. * * * * * * X And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees, When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, A highwayman comes riding- Riding-riding- A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door. XI Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard, And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred; He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair. By Alfred Noyes and Phil Ochs ------------------------------------------------ C Em The wind was a torrent of darkness Am Among the gusty trees Em F The moon was a ghostly galleon Dm G7 Tossed upon cloudy seas C Em And the road was a ribbon of moonlight Am Over the purple moor F C E Am And the highwayman came riding, riding, riding F C Yes, the highwayman came riding Dm G7 Up to the old inn door Over the cobbles he clattered And clashed in the darkened yard And he tapped with his whip at the window But all was locked and barred So he whistled a tune to the window And who should be waiting there But the landlord's black eyed daughter Bess the landlord's daughter Plaiting a dark red love knot Into her long black hair One kiss, my bonny sweetheart For I'm after a prize tonight But I shall be back with the yellow gold Before the morning light Yet if they press me sharply Harry me through the day Oh, then look for me by moonlight Watch for me by moonlight And I'll come to thee by moonlight Though Hell should bar the way He did not come at the dawning No, he did not come at the noon And out of the tawny sunset before the rise of the moon When the road was a gypsy's ribbon Looping the purple moor Oh a redcoat troop came marching, marching, marching King George's men came marching Up to the old inn door And they bound the landlord's daughter with many a sniggering jest And they bound the musket beside her With the barrel beneath her breast Now keep good watch and they kissed her She heard the dead man say ";Oh look for me by moonlight Watch for me by moonlight And I'll come to thee by moonlight Though Hell should bar the way"; Look for me by moonlight Hoof beats ringing clear Watch for me by moonlight Were they deaf that they did not hear For he rode on the gypsy highway She breathed one final breath Then her finger moved in the moonlight Her musket shattered the moonlight And it shattered her breast in the moonlight And warned him with her death Oh he turned; he spurred on to the west He did not know who stood Out with her black hair a flowing down Drenched with her own red blood Oh not 'til the dawn had he heard it And his face grew gray to hear How Bess the landlord's daughter The landlord's black eyed daughter Had watched for her love in the moonlight And died in the darkness there C Em Back he spurred like a madman Am Shrieking a curse to the sky Em F With the white road smoking behind him Dm G And his rapier brandished high C Em Blood red were his spurs in the golden noon Am Wine red his velvet coat F C When they shot him down on the highway E Am Down like a dog on the highway F C And he lay in his blood on the highway F G With a bunch of lace at his throat And still on a winter's night they say When the wind is in the trees When the moon is a ghostly galleon Tossed upon cloudy seas When the road is a ribbon of moonlight Over the purple moor Oh the highwayman comes riding, riding, riding Yes the highwayman comes riding Up to the old inn door. 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