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The Battle by Strawbs
The Battle
INTRO: C Em C Em
Am Em D Em C D C D
A Em A Em Am Em D Em
C Em C
Em
In the early dawn the Bishop's men
D Em
Shivered in the damp
D
But the shiver came not from the cold
C D
And spread throughout the camp
A Em
The trembling horses sensed the fear
A Em
Of silent thoughtful men
Am Em
Who prayed that wives and families
D Em C Em C
Might see them once again
Em
The Bishop sent a dawn patrol
D Em
To investigate the weight
D
Of forces at the King's command
C D
Ensconced behind the gate
A Em
The ground mist hid the patrol's approach
A Em
As they drew close enough to show
Am Em
The sentries on the battlements
D Em C Em C
And an archer drew his bow
Em
From the topmost tower a sentry fell
D Em
As an arrow pierced his skull
D
And his headlong flight into the moat
C D
Seemed that of a gull
A Em
The patrol reported little
A Em
There was nothing much to see
Am Em
But the strong and silent castle
D Em C Em C
A symbol of the free
N.C. Em
The King's men took communion
N.C. D N.C. Em
As the first rays of the sun
N.C. D N.C.
Lit up the chapel's gloomy walls
C D
The fatal day begun
A Em
From the castle green the rooks took flight
A Em
To the high trees in the east
Am Em
To their carrion minds the battlefield
D Em C Em C
Set a table for a feast
Em
A tide of black, the Bishop's men
D Em
Equality their right
D
Swarmed like ants across the hill
C D
Their aim at last in sight
A Em
The King's men dressed in purest white
A Em
Were driven back by force
Am Em
And the fighting grew more violent
D Em C Em C
As the battle took its course
Em
The Bishops gave the order
D Em
"No mercy to be shown.
D
The sacrifice will reap rewards
C D
When the King is overthrown"
A Em
The sight of children lying dead
A Em
Made hardened soldiers weep
Am Em
The outer walls began to fall
D Em C Em C
They moved towards the keep
Em
The rooks surveyed the battlefield
D Em
Their hungry beady eyes
D
Revelled in the sight of death
C D
Showing no surprise
A Em
The pressure mounted steadily
A Em
As the Bishops neared the gate
Am Em
And the desperate King called to his knights
D Em C Em C
"It's your lives or the state"
Em
When the anxious King began to fail
D Em
As many thought he might
D
The Queen ran screaming round the walls
C D
And urged the men to fight
A Em
The Bishops' men were tiring
A Em
As the afternoon grew late
Am Em
And the King's men lowered the drawbridge
D Em C Em C
And poured out through the gate
Em
They fought their way across the bridge
D Em
The men like falling leaves
D
Or ears of corn that fall in swathes
C D
The vicious sickle cleaves
A Em
The tide receded up the hill
A Em
The waste of reclaimed land
Am Em
Once decaying swamp became
D Em C Em C
A shore of pure white sand
Em
A blinded priest was seen to bless
D Em
Both dying and the dead
D
As he stumbled around the battlefield
C D
His cassock running red
A Em
If uniform were black or white
A Em
His eyes could never see
Am Em
And death made no distinction
D Em C Em C
Whatever man he be
Em
As darkness fell both camps withdrew
D Em
Their soldiers slain like cattle
D
Leaving the rooks to feast alone
C D
The victors of the battle
F#m Em
At evensong the camps reviewed
F#m Em
Their sad depleted ranks
D C
As survivors of the battle
Bm D A
Gave god their grateful thanks
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