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Bonny May by June Tabor
Bonny May
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:no capo
[Intro]
B E F# B F# B
[Verse]
B
Bonny May, a-shepherding has gone
E F#
To call the sheep to the fold
B E
And as she sang, her bonny voice it rang
F# B
Right over the tups on the downs, downs
F#
Right over the tups on the downs
[Verse]
B
There came a troop of gentlemen
E F#
As they were riding by
B E
And one of them has lighted down
F# B
And he's asked of her the way, way
F#
And he's asked of her the way
[Verse]
B
"Ride on, ride on, you rank riders
E F#
Your steeds are stout and strong
B E
For it's out of the fold I will not go
F# B
For fear you do me wrong, wrong
F#
For fear you do me wrong."
[Verse]
B
Now he's taken her by the middle jimp
E F#
And by the green gown sleeve
B E
And there he's had his will of her
F# B
And he's asked of her no leave, leave
F#
And he's asked of her no leave
[Verse]
B
Now he's mounted on his berry brown steed
E F#
He soon o'erta'en his men
B E
And one and all cried out to him
F# B
"Oh, master, you tarried long, long
F#
Oh, master, you tarried long."
[Verse]
B
"Oh, I've ridden East and I've ridden West
E F#
And I've ridden o'er the downs
B E
But the bonniest lass that ever I saw
F# B F#
She was calling her sheep to the fold, fold
[Verse]
B
She's taken the milk-pail on her head
E F#
And she's gone lingering home
B E
And all her father said to her
F# B
Was, "Daughter, you tarried long, long
F#
Oh, daughter, you tarried long."
[Verse]
B
"Oh, woe be to your shepherd, father
E F#
He takes no care of the sheep
B E
For he's builded the fold at the back of the down
F# B
And the fox has frightened me, me
F#
And the fox has frightened me."
[Verse]
B
"Oh, there came a fox to the fold door
E F#
With twinkling eye so bold
B E
And ere he'd taken the lamb that he did
F# B F#
I'd rather he'd taken them all, all."
[Verse]
B
Now twenty weeks were gone and past
E F#
Twenty weeks and three
B E
The lassie began to fret and to frown
F# B
And to long for the twinkling eye, bright eye
F#
And to long for the twinkling eye
[Instrumental]
B E F# B E F# B F#
[Verse]
B
Now it fell on a day, on a bonny summer's day
E F#
That she walked out alone
B E
That self-same troop of gentlemen
F# B
Come a-riding over the down, down
F#
Come a-riding over the down
[Verse]
B
"Who got the babe with thee, bonny May
E F#
Who got the babe in thy arms?"
B E
For shame, she blushed, and a' she said
F# B F#
Was, "I've a good man of my own, own."
[Verse]
B
"You lie, you lie, you bonny, bonny May
E F#
So loud I hear you lie
B E
Remember the misty murky night
F# B
I lay in the fold with thee, thee
F#
I lay in the fold with thee"
[Verse]
B
Now he's mounted off his berry brown steed
E F#
He's sat the fair May on
B E
"Go call out your kye, father, yourself
F# B
She'll ne'er call them again, again
F#
She'll ne'er call them again."
[Verse]
B
Oh, he's Lord of twenty plough of land
E F#
Twenty plough and three
B E
And he's taken away the bonniest lass
F# B
In all the South country, country
F#
In all the South country
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