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The Highwayman
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Phil Ochs
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1
By Alfred Noyes
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---------------------------------
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Part One
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I
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The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
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The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
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The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,
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And the highwayman came riding-
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Riding-riding-
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The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
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II
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He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
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A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
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They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
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And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
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His pistol butts a-twinkle,
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His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
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III
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Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
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And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
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He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
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But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
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Bess, the landlord's daughter,
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Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
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IV
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And dark in the old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
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Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;
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His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
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But he loved the landlord's daughter,
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The landlord's red-lipped daughter,
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Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say-
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V
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"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
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But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
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Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
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Then look for me by moonlight,
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Watch for me by moonlight,
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I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."
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VI
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He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
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But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand
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As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;
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And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,
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(Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!)
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Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West.
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Part Two
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I
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He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;
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And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,
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When the road was a gipsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,
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A red-coat troop came marching-
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Marching-marching-
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King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
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II
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They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,
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But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;
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Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
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There was death at every window;
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And hell at one dark window;
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For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride.
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III
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They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;
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They bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
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"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her.
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She heard the dead man say-
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Look for me by moonlight;
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Watch for me by moonlight;
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I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!
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IV
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She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!
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She writhed her hands till here fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
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They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like
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years,
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Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
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Cold, on the stroke of midnight,
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The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!
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V
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The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!
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Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,
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She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;
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For the road lay bare in the moonlight;
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Blank and bare in the moonlight;
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And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain.
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VI
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Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs
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ringing clear;
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Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did
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not hear?
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Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
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The highwayman came riding,
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Riding, riding!
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The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up strait and still!
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VII
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Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night
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!
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Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
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Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
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Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
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Her musket shattered the moonlight,
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Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death.
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VIII
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He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
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Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!
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Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear
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How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
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The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
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Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
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IX
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Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
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With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
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Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
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When they shot him down on the highway,
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Down like a dog on the highway,
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And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat.
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* * * * * *
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X
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And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
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When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
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When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
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A highwayman comes riding-
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Riding-riding-
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A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.
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XI
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Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
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And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;
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He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
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But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
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Bess, the landlord's daughter,
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Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
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By Alfred Noyes and Phil Ochs
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------------------------------------------------
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C Em
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The wind was a torrent of darkness
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Am
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Among the gusty trees
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Em F
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The moon was a ghostly galleon
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Dm G7
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Tossed upon cloudy seas
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C Em
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And the road was a ribbon of moonlight
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Am
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Over the purple moor
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F C E Am
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And the highwayman came riding, riding, riding
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F C
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Yes, the highwayman came riding
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Dm G7
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Up to the old inn door
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Over the cobbles he clattered
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And clashed in the darkened yard
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And he tapped with his whip at the window
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But all was locked and barred
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So he whistled a tune to the window
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And who should be waiting there
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But the landlord's black eyed daughter
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Bess the landlord's daughter
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Plaiting a dark red love knot
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Into her long black hair
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One kiss, my bonny sweetheart
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For I'm after a prize tonight
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But I shall be back with the yellow gold
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Before the morning light
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Yet if they press me sharply
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Harry me through the day
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Oh, then look for me by moonlight
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Watch for me by moonlight
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And I'll come to thee by moonlight
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Though Hell should bar the way
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He did not come at the dawning
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No, he did not come at the noon
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And out of the tawny sunset
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before the rise of the moon
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When the road was a gypsy's ribbon
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Looping the purple moor
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Oh a redcoat troop came marching, marching, marching
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King George's men came marching
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Up to the old inn door
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And they bound the landlord's daughter
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with many a sniggering jest
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And they bound the musket beside her
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With the barrel beneath her breast
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Now keep good watch and they kissed her
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She heard the dead man say
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"Oh look for me by moonlight
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Watch for me by moonlight
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And I'll come to thee by moonlight
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Though Hell should bar the way"
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Look for me by moonlight
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Hoof beats ringing clear
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Watch for me by moonlight
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Were they deaf that they did not hear
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For he rode on the gypsy highway
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She breathed one final breath
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Then her finger moved in the moonlight
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Her musket shattered the moonlight
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And it shattered her breast in the moonlight
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And warned him with her death
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Oh he turned; he spurred on to the west
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He did not know who stood
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Out with her black hair a flowing down
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Drenched with her own red blood
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Oh not 'til the dawn had he heard it
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And his face grew gray to hear
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How Bess the landlord's daughter
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The landlord's black eyed daughter
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Had watched for her love in the moonlight
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And died in the darkness there
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C Em
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Back he spurred like a madman
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Am
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Shrieking a curse to the sky
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Em F
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With the white road smoking behind him
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Dm G
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And his rapier brandished high
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C Em
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Blood red were his spurs in the golden noon
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Am
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Wine red his velvet coat
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F C
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When they shot him down on the highway
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E Am
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Down like a dog on the highway
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F C
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And he lay in his blood on the highway
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F G
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With a bunch of lace at his throat
229
And still on a winter's night they say
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When the wind is in the trees
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When the moon is a ghostly galleon
232
Tossed upon cloudy seas
233
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight
234
Over the purple moor
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Oh the highwayman comes riding, riding, riding
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Yes the highwayman comes riding
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Up to the old inn door.
The Highwaymen - Highwayman (Official Vi...
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