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Bedlam Boys
From Pills to Purge Melancholy Vol IV, D'Urfey (words and tune). This needs a pretty fast tempo... and some of the verses can be very good for a bardly dramatic rendition... The chords repeat throughout...
Am E7
For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam
Am E7 Am
Ten thousand miles I traveled
E7
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
Am E7 Am
For to save her shoes from gravel.Chorus:
Am E7 Am E7
Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys
Am
Bedlam boys are bonny
E7 Am E7
For they all go bare and they live by the air
Am E7 Am
And they want no drink or money.I now repent that ever
Poor Tom was so disdain-ed
My wits are lost since him I crossed
Which makes me thus go chainedI went down to Satan's kitchen
For to get me food one morning
And there I got souls piping hot
All on the spit a-turningThere I took up a caldron
Where boiled ten thousand harlots
Though full of flame I drank the same
To the health of all such varletsMy staff has murdered giants
My bag a long knife carries
For to cut man pies from children's thighs
And feed them to the fairiesA spirit white as lightening
Would on me travels guide me
The stars would shake & the pale moon quake
Whenever they espied meNo gypsy, slut or doxy
Shall win my mad Tom from me
I'll weep all night, with stars I'll fight
The fray shall well become meAnd when that I'll be murdering
The Man in the Moon to the powder
His staff I'll break, his dog I'll shake
And there'll howl no demon louderSo drink to Tom of Bedlam
Go fill the seas in barrels
I'll drink it all, well brewed with gall
And maudlin drunk I'll quarrelFor to see Mad Tom of Bedlam
Ten thousand years I have traveled
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
For to save her shoes from gravel.
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