The Hiring Fair

Em  C  Em  C

[Verse]
Em                 C           G
I went down to the hiring fair 
              D/F#
for to sell my labour
  Em                    C         
I noticed a maid in the very next 
       Bm                C
row, I hoped she'd be my neighbour
 G           D/F#                
Imagine then my delight when the 
Em               C
farmer picked us both
Though I spoke not a word on the 
D
cart to the farm
                    Em      C
My heart beat in my throat

[Verse]
   Em                     C    
My lodging was dry and my master 
          G             D/F#
fair, I gave him full measure
     Em                   C       
Like corn in the field my envy 
       Bm                  C
grew, for in his house was my 
treasure
  G                 D/F#          
I watched her carry water, or 
  Em            C
drive cows from the byre
And the heat from the sun made the 
D
corn grow strong
                 Em    C  Em  C
And with it my desire

Continues after the ad
[Verse]
  Em            C            G   
I see her in my dreaming and in 
           D/F#
my dreams caress
    Em                  C         
Her lips, her eyes, her dark brown
           Bm                 C
 hair, the curves beneath her dress
    G               D/F#          
And harvest time it came at last, 
   Em            C
so heavy was our task
That the women and the men worked 
D
side by side
                     Em    C  Em  C
So I had her near at last

[Verse]
Em             C               G
I swung harder with my scythe, 
                    D
few words between us passed
  Em                   
I cursed my tongue-tied 
 C             Bm               
youthfulness, hoped she'd hear my 
   C
heart
     G              D/F#         
When all was safely gathered in, 
Em             C
we sat down to rest
                     D
My trembling fingers touched her arm
                       Em
She placed them on her breast

[Instrumental]
Em  C  Em  C  Em  C  Em  C

[Verse]
    Em                  C      
She turned to me as the sun went 
           G             D/F#
down and all my senses reeled
Em                  C            
We lay there on the scented 
           Bm                 C
ground 'til the moon rose over the 
field

[Instrumental]
G  D/F#  Em  C
D   Em    C    Em    C
Gm7   Eb   Gm7   Eb
Gm7   Eb   Gm7   Eb
Em   C   Em   C

[Verse]
Em             C              G 
She was safely gathered in my 
                 D/F#
arms when from the barn
Em                     C         
Drifted the sound of a violin and
    Bm             C
 we hurried to the farm
G                       D/F# 
All were dancing in the lantern 
             Em               C
light and music filled the air
And I thanked the stars and the 
D
harvest moon
                             Em
For the girl from the hiring fair