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