The Earl Of Aboyne chords by June Tabor

Intro:
Bm    F#m  Bm  F#m7  Bm  x2

Verse:
                                     F#m
Oh, the Earl of Aboyne to London has gone
    Bm      F#m7    Bm
And all his nobles with him
                              F#m
Sad was the heart of his lady fair
  Bm        F#m7         Bm
Because she could not go with him

Verse:
        D                 F#m7
Oh, the Earl of Aboyne to London has gone
    Bm             F#7
And all his nobles with him
Bm                      F#m
Better he had stayed at home
   Bm        F#m7 Bm
Or taken his lady with him

Verse:
                               F#m
And as she walked out upon the green
 Bm       F#m7  Bm
Among the gentlewomen
                                    F#m
Sad was the letter that came to her hand
         Bm       F#m7   Bm
That her lord was wed in London

Verse:
                                  F#m
And as she looked over the castle wall
    Bm      F#m7   Bm
She saw two boys a-running
                                       F#m
“What news, what news, my bonny little boys
     Bm        F#m7   Bm
What news have you of London?”

Verse:
          D                   F#m7
“Oh, good news, good news, my lady gay
        Bm                F#7
For the Earl of Aboyne is coming
    Bm                                F#m
And ere he's within two miles of your walls
    Bm       F#m7    Bm
You hear his bridles ringing”

Verse:
                               F#m
“Oh, my groom's all be well in call
    Bm        F#m7     Bm
And happy all days are shining
                               F#m
Oh, gone are days spent on the stays
          Bm       F#m7     Bm
Since the lord of Aboyne is coming

Verse:
                              F#m
“And my mate's all be well in call
    Bm      F#m7        Bm
And happier flowers are shining
                                         F#m
And cover the stair with herbs sweet and fair
        Bm              F#m7   Bm
And the floors with the finest linen

Verse:
                                  F#m
“And deck my body in the finest array
   Bm          F#m7      Bm
My hood of the brightest linen
                                       F#m
And my apron shall be of the good silk cloth
          Bm       F#m7     Bm
Since the lord of Aboyne is coming”

Verse:
   D                   F#m7
So stately she stepped down the stair
   Bm            F#7
To see if he was coming
        Bm                         F#m
And her gown was of the good green silk
        Bm       F#m7     Bm
Trimmed with her red silk trimming

Verse:
                                  F#m
She's called to Kate, her waiting maid
    Bm        F#m7  Bm
And Jean, her gentlewoman
                                        F#m
“Come fetch me a glass of the very best wine
   Bm        F#m7         Bm
To drink his health, he's coming”

Instrumental:
Bm    F#m  Bm  F#m7  Bm
Bm    F#m  Bm  F#m7  Bm
D   F#m7  Bm   F#7
Bm    F#m  Bm  F#m7  Bm

Verse:
                                         F#m
She's gone out to the close to greet her lord
       Bm      F#m7     Bm
Says, “Welcome for your coming”
                                         F#m
She's gone out to the close to greet her lord
       Bm        F#m7      Bm
Says, “Thrice welcome from London”

Verse:
        D            F#m7
“Oh, if I be of this welcome as you say
     Bm             F#7
Then kiss me for my coming
      Bm                                 F#m
For tomorrow should have been my wedding day
       Bm         F#m7      Bm
If I'd stayed any longer in London”

Verse:
          D                         F#m7
Oh, she's turned then around with a look of distaste
       Bm                F#7
Says, “Woe's me for your coming
        Bm                                   F#m
Since tomorrow should have been your wedding day
        Bm        F#m7     Bm
Then go kiss your whore in London”

Verse:
                                 F#m
“My nobles, all come, mount your steed
    Bm    F#m7   Bm
I'm sorry for my coming
                                          F#m
Tonight we shall lie at the bonny Bogie's side
        Bm         F#m7         Bm
Since tomorrow the course is to London”

Verse:
    D                F#m7
“Oh Tom, my man, run after him
    Bm                 F#7
And beg him to take me with him.”
          Bm                                    F#m
“Oh, I've asked him once and I've asked him the more
         Bm                  F#m7      Bm
And it's never a mile you'll ride with him.”

Verse:
                                   F#m
Then a year and a day she lived in woe
        Bm      F#m7      Bm
And the doctors they were dealing
                           F#m
Until at last her heart it broke
    Bm           F#m7    Bm
And letters were sent to London

Verse:
                                     F#m
When he saw the letters all edged in black
         Bm       F#m7     Bm
Oh, he's bound to grievest weeping
                              F#m
“Oh, she is dead that I loved best
      Bm        F#m7     Bm
And I had but a heart in keeping.”

Verse:
                                  F#m
There were fifteen of the noblest lords
     Bm     F#m7     Bm
That London could provide him
                                                       F#m
From their hose to their hat, they were all dressed in black
   Bm        F#m7        Bm
To mourn for bonny Peggy Irvine

Verse:
        D                   F#m7
And the farther he rode the sorer he wept
       Bm                 F#7
For he had but a heart in keeping
     Bm                                  F#m
“Oh, sooner I had lost all the lands of Aboyne
        Bm
Than my bonnie Peggy Irvine.”