The Highwayman — Phil Ochs
Chords and lyrics for The Highwayman by Phil Ochs (key of C).
Verse 1
Poem by Alfred Noyes
1St Stanza
[C]The wind was a torrent of [Em]darkness
[Am]Among the gusty trees
The [Em]moon was a ghostly [F]galleon
[Dm]Tossed upon cloudy [G7]seas
And the [C]road was a ribbon of [Em]moonlight
[Am]Over the purple moor
And the [F]highwayman came [C]riding, [E]riding, [Am]riding
Yes, the [F]highwayman came [C][Am]riding
[Dm]Up to the old inn [G7]door
2Nd Stanza
[C]Over the cobbles he [Em]clattered
And [Am]clashed in the darkened yard
And he [Em]tapped with his whip at the [F]window
[Dm]But all was locked and [G7]barred
So he [C]whistled a tune to the [Em]window
[Am]And who should be waiting there
But the [F]landlord's black eyed [C]daughter
[E]Bess the landlord's [Am]daughter
[F]Plaiting a dark red [C]love [Am]knot
[Dm]Into her long black [G7]hair
3Rd Stanza
[C]One kiss, my bonny [Em]sweetheart
For I'm [Am]after a prize tonight
But [Em]I shall be back with the [F]yellow gold
[Dm]Before the morning [G7]light
Yet [C]if they press me [Em]sharply
[Am]Harry me through the day
Oh, then [F]look for me [C]by moonlight
[E]Watch for me [Am]by moonlight
And I'll [F]come to thee by [C][Am]moonlight
[Dm]Though Hell should bar the [G7]way
4Th Stanza
[C]He did not come at the [Em]dawning
[Am]No, he did not come at the noon
And [Em]out of the tawny [F]sunset
[Dm]Before the rise of the [G7]moon
[C]When the road was a gypsy's [Em]ribbon
[Am]Looping the purple moor
Oh a [F]redcoat troop came [C]marching, [E]marching, [Am]marching
[F]King George's men came [C][Am]marching
[Dm]Up to the old inn [G7]door
5Th Stanza
[C]And they bound the landlord's [Em]daughter
With [Am]many a sniggering jest
And they [Em]bound the musket [F]beside her
With the [Dm]barrel beneath her [G7]breast
[C]Now keep good watch and they kissed [Em]her
[Am]She heard the dead man say
"Oh [F]look for me [C]by moonlight
[E]Watch for me [Am]by moonlight
And I'll [F]come to thee [C]by [Am]moonlight
Though [Dm]Hell should bar the [G7]way"
6Th Stanza
[C]Look for me [Em]by moonlight
[Am]Hoofbeats rining clear
[Em]Watch for me [F]by moonlight
Were they [Dm]deaf that they did not [G7]hear
[C]For he rode on the gypsy [Em]highway
[Am]She breathed one final breath
Then her [F]finger moved in the [C]moonlight
Her [E]musket shattered the [Am]moonlight
And it [F]shattered her breast in the [C][Am]moonlight
And [Dm]warned him with her [G7]death
7Th Stanza
[C]Oh he turned; he spurred on to the [Em]west
[Am]He did not know who stood
[Em]Out with her black hair a [F]flowing down
[Dm]Drenched with her own red [G7]blood
[C]Oh not 'til the dawn had he [Em]heard it
[Am]And his face grew gray to hear
[F]How Bess the landlord's [C]daughter
The [E]landlord's black eyed [Am]daughter
Had [F]watched for her love in the [C][Am]moonlight
And [Dm]died in the darkness [G7]there
8Th Stanza
[C]Back he spurred like a [Em]madman
Shrieking a curse to the [Am]sky
With the [Em]white road smoking [F]behind him
And his [Dm]rapier brandished [G]high
[C]Blood red were his spurs in the [Em]golden noon
[Am]Wine red his velvet coat
When they [F]shot him down on the [C]highway
[E]Down like a dog on the [Am]highway
And he [F]lay in his blood on the [C]highway
With a [F]bunch of lace at his [G]throat
Outro
[C]And still on a winter's [Em]night they say
When the [Am]wind is in the trees
When the [Em]moon is a ghostly [F]galleon
[Dm]Tossed upon cloudy [G7]seas
[C]When the road is a ribbon of [Em]moonlight
[Am]Over the purple moor
Oh the [F]highwayman comes [C]riding, [E]riding, [Am]riding
Yes the [F]highwayman comes [C][Am]riding
[Dm]Up to the old inn [G7]door[C]
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