Little Musgrave

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      G
I have loved you fair lady
    G
for long and many's the day
    G                C          G
and I have loved you little Musgrave
       G       C        G
though never a word did say

[Verse]
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.

[Verse]
      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.

[Verse]
  G                C       G
" Lord Barnard, my Lord Barnard,
    G
you are a man of life,
    G                C          G
but Musgrave he's at Bucklesfordberry,
G                C      G
Asleep with your wedded wife.'

[Verse]
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        G
"Go saddle me the black he said
    G
go saddle me the grey
    G                   C         G
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         G
"How do you like me bed?" he said, and
G
"How do you like me sheets?"
     G                  C      G
"And how do you like me fair lady ,
     G           C    G
that lies in you arms asleep?"

[Verse]
      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.'

[Verse]
   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.

[Verse]
G                      C   G
Rise up rise up,little Musgrave,
G
rise up and then put on;
   G                    C        G
It shall not be said in fair Ireland
       G        C     G
that I slayed a naked man.


[Verse]
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.'

[Verse]
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           G
"How do you like his cheek?" he said, and
G
"how do you like his chin?
    G                   C       G
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

[Verse]
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