EmG
Lady margaret, lady margaret
DEm
Was sowing at the seam
GDA
She's all dressed in black
GEmBm
And a thought came in her head to roam in the woods
AEmG
To pull flowers to flower her hat, my boys
BmABm
To pull flowers to flower her hat
EmGDEm
So she hoisted up her petticoats a bit above the knee
GDA
And so nimbly she ran over the ground
GEmBm
And when she came to the merrygreen woods
AEmGBm
She pulled those branches down, my boys
ABm
She pulled those branches down
EmGDEm
Suddenly she spied a fine young man
GDA
He's standing by a tree
GEmBm
He says how dare you pull those branches down?
AEmGBm
Without the leave of me, my dear
ABm
Without the leave of me
EmGDEm
Well she says this little wood it is my very own
GDA
My father gave it to me
GEmBmAEmGBm
I can pull these branches down without the leave of thee, young man
ABm
Oh without the leave of thee
EmGDEm
And he took her by the milk-white hand
GDA
And by the grass-green sleeve
GEmBm
He pulled her down at the foot of the bush
AEmGBm
He never once asked her leave, my boys
ABm
Oh he never once asked her leave
EmGDEm
And when it was done she twisted about
GDGA
To ask her true love's name
GEm
But she nothing saw
Bm
She nothing heard
AEmGBm
And all the woods grew dim
ABm
And all the woods grew dim
GAGABmEmGDEm
There's four and twenty ladies all in the land
GDA
And they're all playing a chess
GBm
Except it was the lady margaret
AEmGBm
And she's green as any glass, my boys
ABm
Oh she's green as any glass
AEmGDEm
And these four-and-twenty ladies all in the land
GDA
Grow as red any rose
GAEmBmAEmG
Except the lady margaret she's pale and wan, my boys
BmABm
Oh pale and wan she goes
EmGDEm
Up then spoke the little serving girl
GDA
She lifted her hand and smiled
GAEmBm
She said i think my lady's loved too long
AEmGBm
And now she goes with child, my dears
ABm
Oh and now she goes with child
EmGDEm
Up then spoke the second serving girl
GDA
Oh ever and alas says she
GAEmBm
But i think i know a herb in the merry green wood
AEmGBm
That'll twine thy baby from thee
ABm
It'll rip off thy babe from thee
EmGDEm
So lady margaret she got herself a comb
GDA
She made haste to comb her hair
GEmBm
And then she's away to the merry green woods
AEmGBm
As fast as she can tear, my boys
ABm
As fast as she can tear
EmGDEm
And she hadn't pulled in the merry green woods
GDA
A herb that barely won
GEmBm
When by her stands the young tamlin
AEmGBm
He says margaret leave it alone
ABm
Oh margaret leave it alone
EmGDEm
Why do you pull that bitter little herb
GDA
That herb that grows so grey
GEmBmAEmGBm
For to destroy that fine young baby that we got in our play, my dear
ABm
Oh that we got in our play
EmGDEm
Well come tell me now young tamling says she
GDA
If an earthly man you be
GEmBm
I tell you no lies, says young tamlin
AEmGBm
I was christened as good as thee
ABm
I was christened as good as thee
EmGDEm
But as i rode a-hunting on a bitter bitter night
GDA
It was from my horse i fell
GEmBm
And the queen of elvin she caught me
AEmGBm
Into yonder green hill to dwell
ABm
Oh into yonder green hill to dwell
EmGDEm
But tonight is halloween lady
GDA
The elvin caught will ride
GEmBm
And if you would your true love win
AEmGBm
By the millbridge you must hide, my dears
ABm
By the millbridge you must hide
EmG
And first will run the black horse
DG
Then will the brown
GDA
And then will run the white
GEmBm
You hold him fast, you fear him not
AEmGBm
For he's the father of your child, my love
ABm
He's the father of your child
EmGDEm
They'll turn me on in your arms lady
GDA
Into many a beasts so wild
GEmBm
But you hold them fast, you fear no ill
AEmGBm
It's the father of your child, my love
ABm
It's the father of your child
G Em Bm x2
EmGDEm
So lady margaret, she gets herself a comb
GDA
She made haste to comb her hair
GEmBm
Then she's away to the old millbrdige
AEmGBm
As fast as she could tear, my boys
ABm
As fast as she could tear
EmGDEmGDA
And about the dead hour of the night she heard the bridles ring
GEmBmAEmGBm
Oh my boys, she had her heart more than any earthly thing it did
ABm
More than any earthly thing
EmGD
And first run the black horse
Em
Then the brown
GDA
And then raced by the white
GEmBm
Well she held it fast, she feared it not
AEmGBm
For it's the father of her child
ABm
It's the father of her child
EmGDEmG
The thunderoll across the sky
DAG
The stars blazed bright as day
EmBmA
The queen of elvin gave a thrilling cry
EmGBm
Tamlin's away brave boys
ABm
Brave tamlin's away
EmGDEm
The very first thing they turned him into
GDAG
Is a lion that runs so wild
EmBm
But she held him fast, she feared him not
AEmGBm
He's the father of her child, my boys
ABm
He's the father of her child
EmGDEm
And the very next thing they turned him into
GDA
It was a loathsome snake
GEmBm
He says hold me fast, fear me not
AEmGBm
For i'm one of god's own make, my love
ABm
Oh i'm one of god's own make
EmGDEmG
And again they changed him all in her arms
DA
To a red-hot bar of iron
GEmBm
But she held it fast, she feared it not
AEmGBm
It did to her no harm
ABm
It did to her no harm
EmGDEm
And the very last thing they changed him into
GDA
Was like any naked man
GEmBm
She flung her mantle over him
AEmGBm
She cried my love i've won i've won
ABm
She cried my love i've won
EmGDEmG
But the queen of elvin she called for a bush
DA
She's red as any blood
GEmBm
I should have torn out your eyes, tamlin
AEmGBm
And put in two eyes of wood
ABm
And put in two eyes of wood