The Driving Of The Deer chords by Bella Hardy

• Difficulty: Beginner

Intro:

Am

Verse 1:
Am
Lord Peverel stood on the lordis seat
        D            Em
And an angry man was he
Em
For he heard the sound of a hunter’s horn
      Am
Slow winding up the lea
Am
He look’d to north, he look’d to south
 D                   Em
East and west looked he
     F               Em
“Oh holy cross” the norman cried
                    Am
“Who hunts in my country ”

Verse 2:
    Am
“Belike they think the peverel dead
    D               Em
Or far from forest walk
Em
Woe worth their hunting, they shall find
  Am
Abroad is still the hawk”
Am
Again he looked where helldon hill
 D                        Em
Joins with the konying’s dale
     F                  Em
And then once more the bugle blast
                         Am
Came swelling along the gale

Verse 3:
  Am
“Mount, mount and ride” the baron cried
      D                   Em
“The sound comes o’er the lea
Em
These outlaws, who now drive my deer
       Am
Shall soon our quarry be"
Am
All down the slope, along the flat
   D                   Em
Against the hill they ride
     F                  Em
Non pull the rein till every steed
                         Am
Stands fast at gautriss side

Verse 4:
       Am
“Hold hard! They’re here” the peverel said
     D               Em
And upward held his hand
Em
While all his many kept behind
   Am
To wait their lords command
Am
And westwards, on the bolt-edge moor
   D              Em
Beyond the rocky height
       F                 Em
Both hounds and hunters, men and horse
                      Am
And deer were all in sight

Verse 5:
    Am
Who are these who break forest law?
     D                   Em
Who fear not Peverel’s sword?
Em
Up spoke Sir Payne Peverel, and said
     Am
“Of Bowden he’s the lord
Am
Sir bruno, hight, a franklin brave
 D                Em
One of the saxon swine
      F                    Em
Who feast each day on fat fed beef
                    Am
And guzzle ale not wine”

Verse 6:
    Am
“Beshrew his horn and beshrew his heart
      D              Em
This land he may not ride
Em
If he kills a deer, by the conquerors bow
    Am
By forest law he’ll bide.”
Am
“Ride on, Sir Payne, and tell the churl
    D                 Em
To cease his hunting cheer
      F            Em
And come before his surzerain lord
                        Am
Who waits his presence here”

Verse 7:
     Am
Sir Payne rode swiftly across the dale
 D                        Em
Followed by his gentle’s three
Em
Nor stayed his horse ’till he had reached
     Am
The hunters company
Am
And then he said “fair sirs, you ride
      D                Em
And drive our deer as free
    F                      Em
As if this land were all your own
                Am
And not in forestry”

Verse 8:
     Am
Sir Franklin cried “I’m not his man
      D                Em
And Peverel knows full well
Em
Though within the bounds of his forest walk
    Am
It likes me sooth to dwell.”
Am
“My manor of Bowden I hold in chief
     D                 Em
For good King Harry’s might
     F                  Em
And you can only force me hence
                     Am
If strongest in the fight”

Verse 9:
      Am
Each saxon then upraised his spear
     D                  Em
Or twanged his good yew bow
Em
And the normans who rode out unarmed
          Am
Couldn’t match this threatening show
Am
Lord Peverel viewed their bows and spears
     D                    Em
And marked their strong array
        F                       Em
And so grim he smiled, and softly said
                           Am
“We’ll right this wrong someday”