F C And on the field of BlackheathF C Us commons covered the earthG C More men than ever I did seeF G A B Poor honest men from birth [Verse]A E A E Men came up from Kent and out of Essex tooB A B Naught but the Thames divides us and unites us onwards throughA E A E All the villages of England, on to London townB A B Where we poor men would see our king and lay our grievance downA E A E Wat Tyler led us men from Kent, rough hands were shaken thereB A B King Richard and the commons, our bold resolve and prayer [Instrumental]G C F B [Verse]A E A E We knew our king would hear us, our loyalty was clearB A B The bloody lawyers' poll tax had a-brought us labourers hereA E A E And yet he wouldn't see us, so to London we did roarB A B And the poor there and the Essex men, burst down the prison door [Verse]A E A E What happened at the Tower was justice, rough in partB A B The murders of the Flemish boys, sat uneasy in my heartA E A E "Now the king must see us", said Tyler to his menB A B The very next day young Richard came and met us at Mile End [Chorus]G D And on the field of BlackheathG D Us commons covered the earthA D More men than ever I did seeG A B Poor honest men from birth [Verse]A E A E Kent and Essex, Bedford, Sussex received King Richard's wordB A B No harm nor blame would come to them if home they would returnA E A E Lincoln, Cambridge, Stafford too, received our young king's favourB A B Though thirty thousand left us there, believing it was over [Verse]A E A E But Tyler, he was not convinced and told us to remainB A B "I want to hear his words again, for nothing much has changed"A E A E Tyler, he approached the king and took Richard by the armB A B And his rough but friendly gesture, caused Richard's knights alarm [Instrumental]E B E B F# B E F# G# [Verse]A E A E "Ah, me lord " said Tyler, "companions we will be"B A B "I shall trust in you my lord, if you will trust in me"A E A E So he called for water, and then he called for aleB A B And his manner shocked young Richard's knights and I watched the Lord Mayor pale [Verse]A E A E "I know this man" a voice accused, "Wat Tyler is a thief"B A B The Lord Mayor feared he'd harm the king, that was his true beliefA E A E And there at Smithfield, drew his sword and cut our captain downB A B And the heart went out of all of us, with his blood upon the ground [Chorus]G D And on the field of BlackheathG D Us commons covered the earthA D More men than ever I did seeG A B Poor honest men from birth [Verse]A E A E Young Richard, he was merciful when he pardoned one and allB A B But home to Kent like beaten dogs, still serfs we had to crawlG D G D But how precious was our liberty and the hope that filled us allA D Em D G Left poor Tyler's severed head upon a bloody pole...
Wat Tyler
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