G G G G

     G               Am          Em        C
I was born with this story, it's older than I
    G                 Am       Em               C
And yet you when you hear it you'll know in the sky
     G               Am              Em           C
In the wind of your knowledge, In the cut of your jib
          G          Am      Em           C
That the fibre of wind is as new from my lip
          G      Am       Em       C
As was ever and more and ever will be
          G       Am        Em           D  C
'til the union we face casts us finally free

G

     C         D              G
For we in the love of an earth-bidden dance
        C           D               G
Stand enthralled of that, which from heaven, perchance
         C              D            G
Lets us move with the gifts we were given in grace
       C            D           Am                    G
And smile in the arms of Sweet William's embrace

G G

William's wanderings took him abroad
Showed him the lay of the searcher's long road
To the place he stood now 'neath the black laden sky
And the crook of his father had brought fortune nigh
Read the sign where he looked, Not the bull, nor the bear
Nor a burly red lion, or the tortoise and hare

For we in the love of an earth-bidden dance
Stand enthralled of it, which from heaven, perchance
Lets us move with the gifts we were given in grace
And smile in the arms of Sweet William's embrace
  
       G       Am            Em        C
The end of the world was the name of the inn
       G            Am             Em           C
Said fair William farewell to the world and its sin
  G             G
Its sin

     G           Am
Full balmy was the winter air
      Em                 C
All wet with what might die
     G                Em
A wishing well, the ocean bear
     Em            C
A millpond in his eyes
    G                 Am
A glance to see from whence he came
      Em              C
For William with a landlocked turn
  Am                Am
Vermin what he stood to lose
     Am                   Am
The skin-shot snakes and earthy worms

His boots trod soft inside the inn
His greeted all was here
Abrasive lowly nods came back
Then bent toward their beer
They must know I thought Willy now
They've seen me come from miles
The thought was struck as whisky poured
And barmen gave all smiles

        C        Em     D      Am
Then followed this a curious thing
    G
The eldest of the host
      C        Em     D        Am
Sang softly where he sat and drank
   G 
To love a worthy toast
     C       Em      D    Am
His song was of a stranger
     G
Summoned for his rope
    C        Em     D      Am
In all would be to set us free
     G
His song was strong and bold,

It went:

For we in the love of an earth-bidden dance
Stand enthralled of that, which from heaven, perchance
Lets us move with the gifts we were given in grace
And smile in the arms of Sweet William's embrace

I was born with this story, it's older than I
And yet you when you hear it you'll know in the sky
In the wind of your knowledge, In the cut of your jib
That the fibre of wind is as new from my lip
As was ever and more and ever will be
'til the union we face casts us finally free