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Tamlin
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LEmady margaret, ladGy margaret
WDas sowing at the Emseam
GShe's alDl dressed in Ablack
And a Gthought came in her head to rEmoam in the woodBms
To pull flAowers to flEmower her hat, my boGys
BmTo pull flowerAs to flower her hBmat
So she hoistEmed up her pettGicoats a bDit above tEmhe knee
And sGo nimbly she Dran over the grAound
And wGhen she came to the mEmerrygreen woBmods
She pulAled those brEmanches down, my boGysBm
AShe pulled those branches dBmown
SEmuddenly she sGpied a fine youDng manEm
He's standiGng Dby a Atree
He sayGs how dare you puEmll those branches down?Bm
Without Athe leavEme of me, my GdearBm
AWithout the leave of mBme
WelEml she says this Glittle wood iDt is my Emvery own
GMy father Dgave it to mAe
GI can pull thesEme branches Bmdown wiAthout Emthe leave Gof thee, Bmyoung man
AOh without the leave of tBmhee
EmAnd he took Gher by the miDlk-white hEmand
And by thGe graDss-green Asleeve
He pGulled her dEmown at the foot of the bBmush
He neveAr once asked heEmr leave, my boGysBm
OAh he never once asked her lBmeave
AEmnd when it Gwas done shDe twisted abEmout
To Gask heDr trGue love's Aname
GBut she nothiEmng saw
She nothing heaBmrd
AAnd all the Emwoods greGw dimBm
AAnd all the woods gBmrew dim
G A G A Bm
EmThere's four and twGenty ladies Dall in the Emland
GAnd they're all plDaying a chessA
GExcept it was the lady margBmaret
And she's Agreen as any gEmlass, my boysG Bm
AOh she's green as any glBmass
AAnd these Emfour-and-tweGnty ladDies all in Emthe land
GGrow as red Dany roseA
GExcept thAe lady margareEmt sBmhe's pale Aand wanEm, my boysG
Oh pale Bmand wan she gAoesBm
EmUp then spoGke the little Dserving Emgirl
She Glifted Dher hand and smiAled
She said Gi think my laAdy's lEmoved too lonBmg
And noAw she Emgoes with child, my GdearsBm
Oh and nAow she goes with chBmild
EmUp then sGpoke the seDcond serviEmng girl
GOh ever and aDlas says Ashe
GBut i think i knAow a herb in the mEmerry green wBmood
That'll twiAne thy baEmby from theGeBm
It'll rAip off thy baBmbe from thee
So lEmady margaret Gshe got herDself a comEmb
She made hGaste Dto comb her hAair
And thGen she's away tEmo the merry green Bmwoods
As faAst as she can Emtear, mGy boyBms
As Afast as she Bmcan tear
AnEmd she hadn't puGlled in the Dmerry green wEmoods
A Gherb Dthat barely woAn
GWhen by her standEms the young tamlBmin
He says Amargaret Emleave iGt aloneBm
Oh mAargaret leave it aBmlone
EmWhy do you Gpull that biDtter little herEmb
GThat herb Dthat groAws so grey
GFor to destroy thEmat fine yoBmung baby Athat Emwe got in Gour play, mBmy dear
Oh that Awe got in our plBmay
WEmell come tell me Gnow young taDmling says Emshe
GIf an earthDly man you Abe
GI tell you no liEmes, says young tamBmlin
AI was chriEmstened as Ggood as Bmthee
I was chriAstened as good as thBmee
BuEmt as i rode aG-hunting on a biDtter bitter niEmght
GIt was from mDy horse i Afell
GAnd the queen of elEmvin she caught Bmme
Into yAonder Emgreen hiGll to dwBmell
Oh into Ayonder green hill to Bmdwell
EmBut tonight is haGlloween ladDyEm
The eGlvin cauDght will rAide
GAnd if you Emwould your true love wBmin
By Athe millEmbridge yoGu must hide, my Bmdears
By thAe millbridge you must hiBmde
EmAnd first will run the blGack horse
DThen will the broGwn
GAnd thDen will run the Awhite
GYou hold him faEmst, you fear him noBmt
AFor he's tEmhe father of your chiGld, my loveBm
AHe's the father of youBmr child
EmThey'll turn Gme on in your aDrms ladEmy
IGnto many Da beasts so Awild
GBut you hold them Emfast, you fear no illBm
AIt's the Emfather of your child, mGy loveBm
It's Athe father of your chiBmld
G Em Bmx2
EmSo lady maGrgaret, she geDts herself a cEmomb
GShe made hastDe to comb her Ahair
GThen she's away Emto the old millbrdiBmge
AAs fast as Emshe could tGear, my boBmys
AAs fast as she could Bmtear
EmAnd about the dead hour Gof the nigDht she Emheard thGe briDdles riAng
GOh my boysEm, she had her heBmart more tAhan any Emearthly thinGg it diBmd
AMore than any earthly thBming
EmAnd first run the bGlack horseD
Then thEme brown
GAnd then rDaced by the whAite
Well Gshe held it fast, Emshe feared it nBmot
For it's the faAther of Emher chGildBm
It's the fAather of her childBm
The thEmunderoll Gacross Dthe sky Em G
The stDars blaAzed bright as dayG
The queen oEmf elvin gave a Bmthrilling cryA
EmTamlin's away brGave boyBms
ABrave tamBmlin's away
EmThe very fiGrst thing they tuDrned him iEmnto
Is a lGion thDat runs sAo wildG
But she held him fasEmt, she feared him Bmnot
He's the faAther of her chEmild, my boysG Bm
He's the Afather of her chilBmd
And the Emvery next thing Gthey Dturned him Eminto
GIt was a lDoathsome sAnake
GHe says hold mEme fast, fear me Bmnot
For i'm one of Agod's owEmn makeG, my loveBm
Oh i'm oAne of god's own mBmake
And Emagain they Gchanged him Dall in her aEmrmsG
To a rDed-hot bar of Airon
GBut she held it fEmast, she feared it Bmnot
AIt did to hEmer no GharmBm
It Adid to her no hBmarm
And thEme very last Gthing thDey changed him Eminto
GWas like anDy naked mAan
GShe flung her mEmantle over himBm
AShe cried mEmy love Gi've won i've Bmwon
She Acried my loBmve i've won
EmBut the qGueen of elvDin she called for a EmbushG
SDhe's red as anAy blood
GI should have torn oEmut your eyes, tamBmlin
AAnd put in Emtwo eyes oGf woodBm
AAnd put in two eyes of wooBmd
All chords in this song (5)
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Tamlin
by Current 93
Chords in this song · guitar
Em
G
D
A
Bm
Em G
Lady margaret, lady margaret
D Em
Was sowing at the seam
G D A
She's all dressed in black
G Em Bm
And a thought came in her head to roam in the woods
A Em G
To pull flowers to flower her hat, my boys
Bm A Bm
To pull flowers to flower her hat
Em G D Em
So she hoisted up her petticoats a bit above the knee
G D A
And so nimbly she ran over the ground
G Em Bm
And when she came to the merrygreen woods
A Em G Bm
She pulled those branches down, my boys
A Bm
She pulled those branches down
Em G D Em
Suddenly she spied a fine young man
G D A
He's standing by a tree
G Em Bm
He says how dare you pull those branches down?
A Em G Bm
Without the leave of me, my dear
A Bm
Without the leave of me
Em G D Em
Well she says this little wood it is my very own
G D A
My father gave it to me
G Em Bm A Em G Bm
I can pull these branches down without the leave of thee, young man
A Bm
Oh without the leave of thee
Em G D Em
And he took her by the milk-white hand
G D A
And by the grass-green sleeve
G Em Bm
He pulled her down at the foot of the bush
A Em G Bm
He never once asked her leave, my boys
A Bm
Oh he never once asked her leave
Em G D Em
And when it was done she twisted about
G D G A
To ask her true love's name
G Em
But she nothing saw
Bm
She nothing heard
A Em G Bm
And all the woods grew dim
A Bm
And all the woods grew dim
G A G A Bm
Em G D Em
There's four and twenty ladies all in the land
G D A
And they're all playing a chess
G Bm
Except it was the lady margaret
A Em G Bm
And she's green as any glass, my boys
A Bm
Oh she's green as any glass
A Em G D Em
And these four-and-twenty ladies all in the land
G D A
Grow as red any rose
G A Em Bm A Em G
Except the lady margaret she's pale and wan, my boys
Bm A Bm
Oh pale and wan she goes
Em G D Em
Up then spoke the little serving girl
G D A
She lifted her hand and smiled
G A Em Bm
She said i think my lady's loved too long
A Em G Bm
And now she goes with child, my dears
A Bm
Oh and now she goes with child
Em G D Em
Up then spoke the second serving girl
G D A
Oh ever and alas says she
G A Em Bm
But i think i know a herb in the merry green wood
A Em G Bm
That'll twine thy baby from thee
A Bm
It'll rip off thy babe from thee
Em G D Em
So lady margaret she got herself a comb
G D A
She made haste to comb her hair
G Em Bm
And then she's away to the merry green woods
A Em G Bm
As fast as she can tear, my boys
A Bm
As fast as she can tear
Em G D Em
And she hadn't pulled in the merry green woods
G D A
A herb that barely won
G Em Bm
When by her stands the young tamlin
A Em G Bm
He says margaret leave it alone
A Bm
Oh margaret leave it alone
Em G D Em
Why do you pull that bitter little herb
G D A
That herb that grows so grey
G Em Bm A Em G Bm
For to destroy that fine young baby that we got in our play, my dear
A Bm
Oh that we got in our play
Em G D Em
Well come tell me now young tamling says she
G D A
If an earthly man you be
G Em Bm
I tell you no lies, says young tamlin
A Em G Bm
I was christened as good as thee
A Bm
I was christened as good as thee
Em G D Em
But as i rode a-hunting on a bitter bitter night
G D A
It was from my horse i fell
G Em Bm
And the queen of elvin she caught me
A Em G Bm
Into yonder green hill to dwell
A Bm
Oh into yonder green hill to dwell
Em G D Em
But tonight is halloween lady
G D A
The elvin caught will ride
G Em Bm
And if you would your true love win
A Em G Bm
By the millbridge you must hide, my dears
A Bm
By the millbridge you must hide
Em G
And first will run the black horse
D G
Then will the brown
G D A
And then will run the white
G Em Bm
You hold him fast, you fear him not
A Em G Bm
For he's the father of your child, my love
A Bm
He's the father of your child
Em G D Em
They'll turn me on in your arms lady
G D A
Into many a beasts so wild
G Em Bm
But you hold them fast, you fear no ill
A Em G Bm
It's the father of your child, my love
A Bm
It's the father of your child
G Em Bm
x2
Em G D Em
So lady margaret, she gets herself a comb
G D A
She made haste to comb her hair
G Em Bm
Then she's away to the old millbrdige
A Em G Bm
As fast as she could tear, my boys
A Bm
As fast as she could tear
Em G D Em G D A
And about the dead hour of the night she heard the bridles ring
G Em Bm A Em G Bm
Oh my boys, she had her heart more than any earthly thing it did
A Bm
More than any earthly thing
Em G D
And first run the black horse
Em
Then the brown
G D A
And then raced by the white
G Em Bm
Well she held it fast, she feared it not
A Em G Bm
For it's the father of her child
A Bm
It's the father of her child
Em G D Em G
The thunderoll across the sky
D A G
The stars blazed bright as day
Em Bm A
The queen of elvin gave a thrilling cry
Em G Bm
Tamlin's away brave boys
A Bm
Brave tamlin's away
Em G D Em
The very first thing they turned him into
G D A G
Is a lion that runs so wild
Em Bm
But she held him fast, she feared him not
A Em G Bm
He's the father of her child, my boys
A Bm
He's the father of her child
Em G D Em
And the very next thing they turned him into
G D A
It was a loathsome snake
G Em Bm
He says hold me fast, fear me not
A Em G Bm
For i'm one of god's own make, my love
A Bm
Oh i'm one of god's own make
Em G D Em G
And again they changed him all in her arms
D A
To a red-hot bar of iron
G Em Bm
But she held it fast, she feared it not
A Em G Bm
It did to her no harm
A Bm
It did to her no harm
Em G D Em
And the very last thing they changed him into
G D A
Was like any naked man
G Em Bm
She flung her mantle over him
A Em G Bm
She cried my love i've won i've won
A Bm
She cried my love i've won
Em G D Em G
But the queen of elvin she called for a bush
D A
She's red as any blood
G Em Bm
I should have torn out your eyes, tamlin
A Em G Bm
And put in two eyes of wood
A Bm
And put in two eyes of wood
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About Tamlin Chords by Current 93
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