| | The Highwayman Lyrics Artist(Band):Loreena McKennitt
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, The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin, A coat of claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin; They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to the thigh! And he rode with a jewelled twinkle, His pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky. 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; He whistled a tune to the window, and 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 the moonlight, watch for me by the moonlight, I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell shall bar the way. He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand But she loosened her hair in the casement! His face burnt like a brand As the black cascade of the perfume came tumbling over his breast; And he kissed its waves in the moonlight, (Oh, sweet waves in the moonlight!) He tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west. He did not come at the dawning; he did not come at noon, And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon, When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor, A red-coat troop came marching, marching, marching King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door. They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead, But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed; Two of them knelt at the casement, with muskets at their side! there was death at every window, hell at one dark window; For Bess could see, through the casement, The road that he would ride. They had tied her up to attention, 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 the moonlight, watch for me by the moonlight I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell shall bar the way!" She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good! She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood! They stretched and strained in the darkness and the hours crawled by like years! Till, now, on the stroke of midnight, cold, on the stroke of midnight, The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers! Tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horses hoofs ring clear Tlot-tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear? Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, The highwayman came riding, riding, riding! The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still! Tlot in the frosty silence! Tlot, in the echoing night! Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light! Her eyes grew wide for a moment! She drew one last deep breath, Then her finger moved in the moonlight, her musket shattered the moonlight, Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him with her death. He turned; he spurred to the west; he did not know she stood bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood! Not till the dawn he heard it; 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. And 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 in 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. 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, A highwayman comes riding, riding, riding, A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door. If you find some error in The Highwayman Lyrics, would you please submit your corrections to me? Thank You. Thanks to Tobias Wales for submitting the lyrics. Review about The Highwayman History | Reviewer: Paul | 8/20/09 The eponymous - Highwayman - is a real character. This poem bases on the true story, which took place in XVII century. John Nevison - the Highwayman - lived in the York shire (1640-1685). He escaped many times from prison, but finally they captured him setting a trap. But the end of this poem is only an author's fantasy. Nevison was captured and hanged in Knaveshire. We don't know if the landlord's daughter - Bess - died and ever warned him. i luv this song | Reviewer: morgan | 6/24/09 i love this song so much but is so sad that he died my mom has this song on her i pod ok i dont know if any of u guys know what webkinz are but i have 15 of them AND I HAVE A SUPER BED I HAVE THE APPLE PIE BED my user name for webkinz is:girlfairydust111 no capitals brilliant | Reviewer: Anonymous | 6/9/09 a beautiful love song, but the ending is so tragic! i cry every time i read it or hear it...i guess the ending is essential though as it demonstrates how much they loved each other. i don't think it was a waste to have the man die in the end, as who would want to live knowing that their lover had died for them...i would probably kill myself just to be with them. wow what a sacrifice...WHAT A SONG! it's pure brilliance and her voice is so clear and haunting. I LOVE IT! love it | Reviewer: Anonymous | 3/17/09 i had a hard time finding this version of the song and had forgoten about it for a time but i really love it. in a way it makes me angry but i still love it. i swear i would be so pissed if i died to save someone i cared about and he turned around and died stupidly like that. i can see why he did and all, but it still made me angry. awsome | Reviewer: master08 | 3/3/09 i first heard this poem last year in english. i liked the poem but once i heard the song i loved it. i think this is one of the best pieces of writing ever! i am just wondering if u can download it on an ipod. if you can please email me and where i can download thanks Love this Poem!!! | Reviewer: Derek | 1/26/09 I loved this song. I just recently heard it in my L.A. Class and the next day my teacher played the youtube video with Loreena Mckennitt singing it and i loved it! I already loved her singing, but i hadnt heard her sing this yet. It sounds so ghostly but i love the story. Its so emotional. Short, Shes the rocks. I recomened this for anyone!!! Its Great!!! =) A Ghostly Love Story | Reviewer: MysticalCeta | 9/24/08 The first time I heard this and listened to the words, it gave me chills (in a good way). I love the concept of the ghostly rider still coming to the inn to visit his love. I searched the poem out after hearing the song, and it filled in the gaps in the story line. A marvelous piece of work by a marvelous artist! So Sad and beautiful!!!! | Reviewer: Mary | 2/7/08 This song is the best. I first heard the poem and the song in a music class. My friend and I both fell in love with it. I recommend it to anyone and everyone... the music is awesome and Loreena sings so beautifully!!!! Fantastic! | Reviewer: Anonymous | 12/26/07 I first listened the song. I hadn't heard the poem before. Loreena is the best singer for this poem, i think. Both of them are gifts for humanity. Love it~ | Reviewer: Shai | 11/30/07 Such a awesome poem/song, I first heard this is my L.A. class as part as a traditional ballet thing and our teacher played it for us, I fell in love with it and love Loreena and her accent. Beautiful. Review By Pages: 1 2 3 Review the song The Highwayman The area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of the lyrics.  Download "Loreena McKennitt" Music | |
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