Little Musgrave chords by Christy Moore

[Verse]
G        C
It fell upon a holy-day
  G
As many in the year,
G        C
Musgrave to the church did go
  G    C   G
to see fine ladies there

[Verse]
G            C
And some were dressed in velvet red
  G
and some in velvet pale
  G         C
And then in came Lord Barnard's wife,
  G    C     G
The fairest among them all.

[Verse]
G         C
She cast an eye on Little Musgrave,
   G
full bright as the summer sun;
          C
Said Musgrave unto himself
   G   C      G
"This lady's heart have I won."

[Verse]
G        C
I have loved you fair lady
  G
for long and many's the day
  G        C
and I have loved you little Musgrave
    G    C    G
though never a word did say

[Verse]
G         C
'I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry,
G
It's me hearts delight
G         C
I'll take you back there with me
     G     C    G
If you'll lie in my arms all night.'

[Verse]
  G            C
But standing by was a little footpage,
     G
From the lady's coach he ran.
 G        C
'Although I am my lady's page,
 G    C     G
I am Lord Barnard's man.

[Verse]
   G       C
'Lord Barnard shall know of this,
    G
Whether I sink or swim;'
  G       c
And everywhere the bridges were broke,
   G     C    G
He'd enter the water and swim.

[Verse]
 G        C
" Lord Barnard, my Lord Barnard,
  G
you are a man of life,
  G        C
but Musgrave he's at Bucklesfordberry,
G        C   G
Asleep with your wedded wife.'

[Verse]
G           C
'If this be true, me little footpage,
   G
This thing that you tell me,
    G    C
All the gold in Bucklesford Berry
G      C    G
Gladly I'll give to thee.

[Verse]
G              C
'But if this be a lie, thou little foot page,
G
This thing that you tell me,
     G        C
From the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry,
G     C   G
Hanged you shall be.'

[Verse]
  G       C
"Go saddle me the black he said
  G
go saddle me the grey
  G          C
and sound you not your horns," he said
 G    C     G
"lest our coming you betray"

[Verse]
G           C
But there was a man in Lord Barnard's train
   G
Who loved the little Musgrave
    G          C
and he blew his horn both loud and shrill
G   C     G
'Away, Musgrave, away.'

[Verse]
G          C
'I think I hear the morning cock,
  G
I think I hear the jay;
G          C
I think I hear Lord Barnard's men,
   G    C  G
And I wish I was away.'

[Verse]
G              C
'Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrave,
  G
And hug me from the cold;
   G   C
'It's only a shepherd's boy,
  G      C     G
A-bringing his flock to fold.

[Verse]
  G       C
'Is not your hawk upon it's perch?
   G
Your steed eats oats and hay;
  G       C
And You've a lady in your arms,
  G     C G
And yet you'd go away?'

[Verse]
    G           C
So he's turned around and he's kissed her twice
  G
and then they fell asleep
   G       C
when they awoke Lord Barnard's Men
   G    C    G
were standing at their feet.

[Verse]
G          C
"How do you like me bed?" he said, and
G
"How do you like me sheets?"
   G         C
"And how do you like me fair lady ,
   G      C  G
that lies in you arms asleep?"

[Verse]
   G        C
"It's well I like your bed," he said
G
" and great it gives me pain,
G           C
I would gladly give a hundred pounds
  G   C   G
to be on yonder plain.'

[Verse]
  G         C
So slowly, so slowly he got up
  G
So slowly he put on
G   C
Slowly down the stairs
G    C   G
Thinking to be slain.

[Verse]
G           C
Rise up rise up,little Musgrave,
G
rise up and then put on;
  G          C
It shall not be said in fair Ireland
    G    C   G
that I slayed a naked man.


[Verse]
G           C
'There are two swords down at my side,
G
and dear they cost my purse;
G           C
And you shall have the best of them,
  G    C    G
And I will take the worse.'

[Verse]
G          C
The first rook that Musgrave struck
  G
It hurt Lord Barnard sore;
    G          C
But the next rook that Lord Barnard struck,
    G    C      G
Little Musgrave ne'er struck more.

[Verse]
G      C
Then up and spake the fair lady,
G
from on her bed she lay.'
 G              C
'Although you're dead, Little Musgrave,
G     C    G
Still for you I"ll pray.

[Verse]
G          C
"How do you like his cheek?" he said, and
G
"how do you like his chin?
  G          C
and how do you like his dead body,
  G      C  G
now there's no life within."

[Verse]
G           C
"It's well I like his cheek" she said,
   G
"and more I want his chin,
   G        C
It's more I love his dead body, than
G    C    G
all your kith and kin."

[Verse]
G         C
He's taken out his long,long sword,
  G
to strike the mortal blow,
  G             C
and through, and through the lady's heart
  G     C   G
the cold steel it did go

[Verse]
G            C
'A grave, a grave,' Lord Barnard cried,
G
'To put these lovers in;
  G         C
But put my lady on the upper half,
    G     C   G
For she came from better kin.'

[Verse]
G             C
'For I've just killed the finest knight
   G
That ever rode a steed;
  G          C
And I've just slain the fairest lady
   G     C    G
That ever did a woman's deed."

[Verse]
G       C
It fell upon a holy-day
  G
As many's in the year,
G        C
Musgrave to the church did go
  G    C    G