C5 E5 The wind was a torrent of darkness A5 Among the gusty trees E5 F5 The moon was a ghostly galleon D5 G5 Tossed upon cloudy seas C5 E5 And the road was a ribbon of moonlight A5 Over the purple moor F5 C5 E5 A5 And the highwayman came riding, riding, riding F5 C5 Yes, the highwayman came riding D5 G5 Up to the old inn door Over the cobbles he clattered And clashed in the darkened yard And he tapped with his whip at the window But all was locked and barred So he whistled a tune to the window And who should be waiting there But the landlord's black eyed daughter Bess the landlord's daughter Plaiting a dark red love knot Into her long black hair One kiss, my bonny sweetheart For I'm after a prize tonight But I shall be back with the yellow gold Before the morning light Yet if they press me sharply Harry me through the day Oh, then look for me by moonlight Watch for me by moonlight And I'll come to thee by moonlight Though Hell should bar the way He did not come at the dawning No, he did not come at the noon And out of the tawny sunset before the rise of the moon When the road was a gypsy's ribbon Looping the purple moor Oh a redcoat troop came marching, marching, marching King George's men came marching Up to the old inn door And they bound the landlord's daughter with many a sniggering jest And they bound the musket beside her With the barrel beneath her breast Now keep good watch and they kissed her She heard the dead man say "Oh look for me by moonlight Watch for me by moonlight And I'll come to thee by moonlight Though Hell should bar the way" Look for me by moonlight Hoof beats ringing clear Watch for me by moonlight Were they deaf that they did not hear For he rode on the gypsy highway She breathed one final breath Then her finger moved in the moonlight Her musket shattered the moonlight And it shattered her breast in the moonlight And warned him with her death Oh he turned; he spurred on to the west He did not know who stood Out with her black hair a flowing down Drenched with her own red blood Oh not 'til the dawn had he heard it And his face grew gray to hear How Bess the landlord's daughter The landlord's black eyed daughter Had watched for her love in the moonlight And died in the darkness there C5 E5 Back he spurred like a madman A5 Shrieking a curse to the sky E5 F5 With the white road smoking behind him D5 G5 And his rapier brandished high C5 E5 Blood red were his spurs in the golden noon A5 Wine red his velvet coat F5 C5 When they shot him down on the highway E5 A5 Down like a dog on the highway F5 C5 And he lay in his blood on the highway F5 G5 With a bunch of lace at his throat And still on a winter's night they say When the wind is in the trees When the moon is a ghostly galleon Tossed upon cloudy seas When the road is a ribbon of moonlight Over the purple moor Oh the highwayman comes riding, riding, riding Yes the highwayman comes riding Up to the old inn door.
