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Correction Lyrics
The Highwayman
by
Phil Ochs
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Lyrics
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 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 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 Then look for me by moonlight Watch for me by moonlight I'll come to thee by moonlight Though hell should bar the way He did not come at the dawning 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 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 sn***ering 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 Look for me by moonlight The 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 drew one final breath Then her fingers moved in the moonlight Her musket shattered the moonlight Shattered her breast in the moonlight And warned him with her death He turned, he spurred on to the west For he did not know she stood Bowed with her black hair flowing down Drenched with her own red blood Not 'til the dawn when 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 Back he spurred like a madman Shouting a curse to the sky With the white road smoking behind him And his rapier brandished high Blood red were his spurs in the golden noon Wine red 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 blood on the lace at his throat 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
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