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The Highwayman Words by Alfred Noyes As recorded by Lorenna McKennitt on Book of Secrets Album (Italicized verses not included in the recorded version, but add to the story immensely.) This is a very long song, but well worth learning and performing - especially if Admael and Sister Bernadette of Challain are there! It needs to be played at a pretty fast tempo and the chord changes can be quite challenging. A lot of the teens will recognize this because they had to study the poem in school. Besides that, it is a wonderfully tragic and romantic story....
Find Lorena McKennitt's wonderful recordings and info at Quinlan Road and UBL
Am Em Am F G E7 Am The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, Am Em Am F G E7 Am The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, Dm C G Am G The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, Dm C G Am Em Am G And the highwayman came riding -- riding --- riding— C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am The highwayman came ri - ding, up to the old inn door.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin; Am Em Am F G E7 Am He'd a coat of the clar-et vel-vet, and breeches of brown doe - skin. Dm C G Am G They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to the thigh Dm C G Am G And he rode with a jeweled twinkle -- His pistol butts a-twinkle --- C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am His rapier hilt a - twinkle, un -- der the jew - eled sky.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am And over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, Am Em Am F G E7 Am He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred, Dm C G Am G He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there Dm C G Am G But the landlord's black-eyed daughter-- Bess, the landlord's daughter-- C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am Plaiting a dark red love-knot in - to her long black hair.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am *Dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked Am Em Am F G E7 Am *Where Tim, the ostler listened--his face was white and peaked-- Dm C G Am G *His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay, Dm C G Am G *But he loved the landlord's daughter-- the landlord's black-eyed daughter; C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am *Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say:
Am Em Am F G E7 Am "One kiss, my bonny sweetheart; I'm after a prize tonight, Am Em Am F G E7 Am But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light. Dm C G Am G Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, Dm C G Am G Then look for me by the moonlight, watch for me by the moonlight, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way."
Am Em Am F G E7 Am He stood upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand, Am Em Am F G E7 Am But she loosened her hair in the casement! His face burnt like a brand Dm C G Am G As a black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast, Dm C G Am G Then he kissed its waves in the moonlight (O sweet waves in the moonlight!), C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am And he tugged at his reins in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am He did not come at the dawning; he did not come at noon. Am Em Am F G E7 Am And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon, Dm C G Am G When the road was a gypsy's ribbon looping the purple moor, Dm C G Am Em Am G A redcoat troop came marching - - marching -- marching-- C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am They said no word to the landlord; they drank his ale instead, Am Em Am F G E7 Am But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed. Dm C G Am G Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side; Dm C G Am G There was Death at every window, Hell at one dark window, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am They had tied her up at attention, with many a sniggering jest! Am Em Am F G E7 Am They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast! Dm C G Am G "Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say, Dm C G Am G “Look for me, love, by the moonlight, Watch for me by the moonlight, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though Hell should bar the way."
Am Em Am F G E7 Am She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good! Am Em Am F G E7 Am She writhed her hands 'til her fingers were wet with sweat or blood! Dm C G Am G They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years, Dm C G Am G 'Til, on the stroke of midnight, cold on the stroke of midnight, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!
Am Em Am F G E7 Am *The tip of one finger touched it, she strove no more for the rest; Am Em Am F G E7 Am *Up, she stood at attention, with the barrel beneath her breast. Dm C G Am G *She would not risk their hearing, she would not strive again, Dm C G Am G *For the road lay bare in the moonlight, blank and bare in the moonlight, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am *And the blood in her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love's refrain.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am Tlot tlot,! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear; Am Em Am F G E7 Am Tlot tlot, , in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear? Dm C G Am G Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, Dm C G Am Em Am G The highwayman came riding-- rid-ing - -rid-ing-- C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am The redcoats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am Tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot, in the echoing night! Am Em Am F G E7 Am Nearer came it, nearer! Her face was like a light! Dm C G Am G Her eyes grew wide for a moment, she drew one last deep breath, Dm C G Am G Then her finger moved in the moonlight-- Her musket shot at the moonlight-- C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him--with her death.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am He turned, he spurred to the West; he did not know she stood Am Em Am F G E7 Am Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched in her own red blood! Dm C G Am G Not 'til the dawn he heard it, and his face grew grey to hear Dm C G Am G How Bess, the landlord's daughter, the landlord's black-eyed daughter, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky, Am Em Am F G E7 Am With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high Dm C G Am G Blood-red were his spurs in the gold noon, wine-red was his velvet coat Dm C G Am G When they shot him down in the highway, down like a dog in the highway, C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am And he lay in his blood in the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am And still on a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees, Am Em Am F G E7 Am When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon the cloudy seas, Dm C G Am G When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, Dm C G Am Em Am G And the highwayman comes riding-- riding --- riding— C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am The highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn door.
Am Em Am F G E7 Am *Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard, Am Em Am F G E7 Am *He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred, Dm C G Am G *He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there Dm C G Am G *But the landlord's black-eyed daughter-- Bess, the landlord's daughter-- C Dm Am Dm Am Em Am *Plaiting a dark red love-knot in - to her long black hair.