The Highwayman - Phil Ochs The wind was a torrent of darkness
Among the gusty trees The moon was a ghostly galleon
Tossed upon the cloudy seas The road was a ribbon of moonlight Over the purple moor And the highwayman came riding Riding riding Yes the highwayman came riding Up to the old indoor Over the cobbles he clattered And clashed in the dark innyard And he tapped with his whip on the shutters But all was locked and barred; So he whistled a tune to the window 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
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 And harry me through the day Then look for me by moonlight Watch for me by the 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 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 red coat troop came marching Marching marching King George's men came marching Up to the old indoor They boought the landlow catter With many a sniggering jest; They had bound a musket beside her With the barrel beneath her breast Now keep good watch And they kissed her She heard the dead man say
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 Look it again in clear Watch for me by moonlight Where they dead that they did not here for he Road down the Gypsy highway She brings one final brother That her finger move then the moon light Her must keep shat her the moonlight
And then shat her brighten the moonlight And walk him with her down Oh He turned; he spurred to the west; He did not know who stood Now with her black over follow down Drenched with her own red blood No not till the dawn had heard it; And his face grew grey 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 Back he spurred like a madman Shrieking a curse to the sky With the white road smoking Behind him and his rapier Brandished high Blood red were the spurs Then the golden noon; Wine red was his velvet coat When they shot him down On the highway Down like a dog on the highway And he lay in his blood on the highway With the bunch of lace at his throat And still of a winter's night they say When the wind is in the trees When the moon is a ghostly galleon Tossed upon the cloudy seas When the road is a ribbon of moonlight Over the purple moor Oh a highwayman comes riding Riding riding Yes a highwayman comes riding Up to the old indoor
[00:00.81]The Highwayman - Phil Ochs [00:04.31]The wind was a torrent of darkness [00:06.81] [00:08.44]Among the gusty trees [00:12.37]The moon was a ghostly galleon [00:14.63] [00:15.52]Tossed upon the cloudy seas [00:18.80]The road was a ribbon of moonlight [00:22.84]Over the purple moor [00:25.84]And the highwayman came riding [00:29.65]Riding riding [00:32.16]Yes the highwayman came riding [00:36.32]Up to the old indoor [00:40.55]Over the cobbles he clattered [00:43.55]And clashed in the dark innyard [00:47.04]And he tapped with his whip on the shutters [00:50.77]But all was locked and barred; [00:54.35]So he whistled a tune to the window [00:58.27]Who should be waiting there [01:01.12]But the landlord's black eyed daughter [01:06.10]Bess the landlord's daughter [01:09.12]Plaiting a dark red love knot [01:12.79]Into her long black hair [01:16.45]One kiss my bonny sweetheart [01:18.82] [01:19.87]I'm after a prize tonight [01:23.44]But I shall be back with the yellow gold [01:27.21]Before the morning light; [01:30.56]Yet if they press me sharply [01:34.04]And harry me through the day [01:37.41]Then look for me by moonlight [01:41.81]Watch for me by the moonlight [01:44.58]And I'll come to thee by moonlight [01:48.46]Though hell should bar the way [01:52.59]He did not come at the dawning; [01:55.83]No he did not come at noon [01:59.41]And out of the tawny sunset [02:02.97]Before the rise of the moon [02:06.07]When the road was a gypsy's ribbon [02:10.10]Looping the purple moor [02:13.02]Oh a red coat troop came marching [02:16.55]Marching marching [02:19.55]King George's men came marching [02:22.74]Up to the old indoor [02:26.20]They boought the landlow catter [02:29.92]With many a sniggering jest; [02:33.38]They had bound a musket beside her [02:36.58]With the barrel beneath her breast [02:39.85]Now keep good watch [02:42.20]And they kissed her [02:44.05]She heard the dead man say [02:47.13] [02:48.02]Look for me by moonlight [02:50.38] [02:51.82]Watch for me by moonlight [02:54.51]And I'll come to thee by moonlight [02:58.50]Though hell should bar the way [03:03.03]Look for me by moonlight [03:06.36]Look it again in clear [03:10.08]Watch for me by moonlight [03:12.61]Where they dead that they did not here for he [03:17.00]Road down the Gypsy highway [03:20.17]She brings one final brother [03:23.04]That her finger move then the moon light [03:27.40]Her must keep shat her the moonlight [03:29.73] [03:30.33]And then shat her brighten the moonlight [03:34.54]And walk him with her down [03:38.02]Oh [03:38.32]He turned; he spurred to the west; [03:41.65]He did not know who stood [03:45.19]Now with her black over follow down [03:48.20]Drenched with her own red blood [03:51.27]No not till the dawn had heard it; [03:55.42]And his face grew grey to hear [03:58.71]How Bess the landlord's daughter [04:03.15]The landlord's black eyed daughter [04:05.99]Had watched for her love in the moonlight [04:09.83]And died in the darkness there [04:14.18]Back he spurred like a madman [04:17.28]Shrieking a curse to the sky [04:20.65]With the white road smoking [04:22.49]Behind him and his rapier [04:25.31]Brandished high [04:27.57]Blood red were the spurs [04:29.34]Then the golden noon; [04:31.37]Wine red was his velvet coat [04:34.29]When they shot him down [04:36.15]On the highway [04:38.43]Down like a dog on the highway [04:41.35]And he lay in his blood on the highway [04:45.33]With the bunch of lace at his throat [04:49.36]And still of a winter's night they say [04:52.88]When the wind is in the trees [04:56.35]When the moon is a ghostly galleon [05:00.46]Tossed upon the cloudy seas [05:03.65]When the road is a ribbon of moonlight [05:07.83]Over the purple moor [05:10.95]Oh a highwayman comes riding [05:14.76]Riding riding [05:17.64]Yes a highwayman comes riding [05:21.78]Up to the old indoor
