Verse
G C
It fell upon a holy-day
G
As many in the year,
G C
Musgrave to the church did go
G C G
to see fine ladies there
Verse
G C
And some were dressed in velvet red
G
and some in velvet pale
G C
And then in came Lord Barnard's wife,
G C G
The fairest among them all.
Verse
G C
She cast an eye on Little Musgrave,
G
full bright as the summer sun;
C
Said Musgrave unto himself
G C G
"This lady's heart have I won."
Verse
G C
I have loved you fair lady
G
for long and many's the day
G C
and I have loved you little Musgrave
G C G
though never a word did say
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G C
'I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry,
G
It's me hearts delight
G C
I'll take you back there with me
G C G
If you'll lie in my arms all night.'
Verse
G C
But standing by was a little footpage,
G
From the lady's coach he ran.
G C
'Although I am my lady's page,
G C G
I am Lord Barnard's man.
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G C
'Lord Barnard shall know of this,
G
Whether I sink or swim;'
G c
And everywhere the bridges were broke,
G C G
He'd enter the water and swim.
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G C
" Lord Barnard, my Lord Barnard,
G
you are a man of life,
G C
but Musgrave he's at Bucklesfordberry,
G C G
Asleep with your wedded wife.'
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G C
'If this be true, me little footpage,
G
This thing that you tell me,
G C
All the gold in Bucklesford Berry
G C G
Gladly I'll give to thee.
Verse
G C
'But if this be a lie, thou little foot page,
G
This thing that you tell me,
G C
From the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry,
G C G
Hanged you shall be.'
Verse
G C
"Go saddle me the black he said
G
go saddle me the grey
G C
and sound you not your horns," he said
G C G
"lest our coming you betray"
Verse
G C
But there was a man in Lord Barnard's train
G
Who loved the little Musgrave
G C
and he blew his horn both loud and shrill
G C G
'Away, Musgrave, away.'
Verse
G C
'I think I hear the morning cock,
G
I think I hear the jay;
G C
I think I hear Lord Barnard's men,
G C G
And I wish I was away.'
Verse
G C
'Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrave,
G
And hug me from the cold;
G C
'It's only a shepherd's boy,
G C G
A-bringing his flock to fold.
Verse
G C
'Is not your hawk upon it's perch?
G
Your steed eats oats and hay;
G C
And You've a lady in your arms,
G C G
And yet you'd go away?'
Verse
G C
So he's turned around and he's kissed her twice
G
and then they fell asleep
G C
when they awoke Lord Barnard's Men
G C G
were standing at their feet.
Verse
G C
"How do you like me bed?" he said, and
G
"How do you like me sheets?"
G C
"And how do you like me fair lady ,
G C G
that lies in you arms asleep?"
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G C
"It's well I like your bed," he said
G
" and great it gives me pain,
G C
I would gladly give a hundred pounds
G C G
to be on yonder plain.'
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G C
So slowly, so slowly he got up
G
So slowly he put on
G C
Slowly down the stairs
G C G
Thinking to be slain.
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G C
Rise up rise up,little Musgrave,
G
rise up and then put on;
G C
It shall not be said in fair Ireland
G C G
that I slayed a naked man.
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G C
'There are two swords down at my side,
G
and dear they cost my purse;
G C
And you shall have the best of them,
G C G
And I will take the worse.'
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G C
The first rook that Musgrave struck
G
It hurt Lord Barnard sore;
G C
But the next rook that Lord Barnard struck,
G C G
Little Musgrave ne'er struck more.
Verse
G C
Then up and spake the fair lady,
G
from on her bed she lay.'
G C
'Although you're dead, Little Musgrave,
G C G
Still for you I"ll pray.
Verse
G C
"How do you like his cheek?" he said, and
G
"how do you like his chin?
G C
and how do you like his dead body,
G C G
now there's no life within."
Verse
G C
"It's well I like his cheek" she said,
G
"and more I want his chin,
G C
It's more I love his dead body, than
G C G
all your kith and kin."
Verse
G C
He's taken out his long,long sword,
G
to strike the mortal blow,
G C
and through, and through the lady's heart
G C G
the cold steel it did go
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G C
'A grave, a grave,' Lord Barnard cried,
G
'To put these lovers in;
G C
But put my lady on the upper half,
G C G
For she came from better kin.'
Verse
G C
'For I've just killed the finest knight
G
That ever rode a steed;
G C
And I've just slain the fairest lady
G C G
That ever did a woman's deed."
Verse
G C
It fell upon a holy-day
G
As many's in the year,
G C
Musgrave to the church did go
G C G
to see fine ladies there