G               C
It fell upon a holy-day
   G             
As many in the year, 
G               C
Musgrave to the church did go 
   G        C      G
to see fine ladies there 

[Verse]
G                        C
And some were dressed in velvet red 
    G
and some in velvet pale 
    G                 C
And then in came Lord Barnard's wife, 
    G       C          G
The fairest among them all. 

[Verse]
G                  C
She cast an eye on Little Musgrave, 
     G
full bright as the summer sun; 
                   C
Said Musgrave unto himself 
      G      C            G
"This lady's heart have I won." 

[Verse]
G                C      G
I have loved you fair lady 
    G
for long and many's the day 
    G                C          G
and I have loved you little Musgrave 
       G       C        G
though never a word did say 

[Verse]
G                  C
'I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry, 
G
It's me hearts delight 
G                  C
I'll take you back there with me 
          G         C        G
If you'll lie in my arms all night.' 

[Verse]
    G                 C
But standing by was a little footpage, 
         G     
From the lady's coach he ran. 
 G                C
'Although I am my lady's page, 
  G       C         G
I am Lord Barnard's man. 

[Verse]
      G             C
'Lord Barnard shall know of this, 
G
Whether I sink or swim;' 
    G              c
And everywhere the bridges were broke, 
     G          C        G
He'd enter the water and swim. 

[Verse]
  G                C       G
" Lord Barnard, my Lord Barnard, 
    G              
you are a man of life, 
    G                C          G
but Musgrave he's at Bucklesfordberry, 
G                C      G
Asleep with your wedded wife.' 

[Verse]
G                     C
'If this be true, me little footpage, 
     G
This thing that you tell me, 
        G       C
All the gold in Bucklesford Berry 
G            C       G
Gladly I'll give to thee. 

[Verse]
G                            C
'But if this be a lie, thou little foot page, 
G
This thing that you tell me, 
         G               C
From the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry, 
G          C     G
Hanged you shall be.' 

[Verse]
    G             C        G
"Go saddle me the black he said 
    G
go saddle me the grey 
    G                   C         G
and sound you not your horns," he said 
 G               C   G
"lest our coming you betray" 

[Verse]
G                      C
But there was a man in Lord Barnard's train 
     G
Who loved the little Musgrave 
       G                   C
and he blew his horn both loud and shrill 
G      C         G
'Away, Musgrave, away.'

[Verse]
G                   C
'I think I hear the morning cock, 
   G                
I think I hear the jay; 
G                   C
I think I hear Lord Barnard's men, 
      G       C   G
And I wish I was away.' 

[Verse]
G                           C
'Lie still, lie still, thou Little Musgrave, 
    G                
And hug me from the cold;
      G      C 
'It's only a shepherd's boy, 
   G           C         G
A-bringing his flock to fold. 

[Verse]
    G              C
'Is not your hawk upon it's perch? 
      G
Your steed eats oats and hay; 
    G              C
And You've a lady in your arms, 
    G         C  G
And yet you'd go away?' 

[Verse]
        G                      C
So he's turned around and he's kissed her twice 
    G
and then they fell asleep 
      G              C
when they awoke Lord Barnard's Men 
     G        C        G
were standing at their feet. 

[Verse]
G                   C         G
"How do you like me bed?" he said, and 
G                   
"How do you like me sheets?" 
     G                  C      G
"And how do you like me fair lady , 
     G           C    G
that lies in you arms asleep?" 

[Verse]
      G                C
"It's well I like your bed," he said 
G
" and great it gives me pain, 
G                     C
I would gladly give a hundred pounds 
   G      C     G
to be on yonder plain.' 

[Verse]
   G                 C
So slowly, so slowly he got up
   G
So slowly he put on
G      C
Slowly down the stairs
G        C     G
Thinking to be slain.

[Verse]
G                      C   G
Rise up rise up,little Musgrave, 
G
rise up and then put on;
   G                    C        G 
It shall not be said in fair Ireland 
       G        C     G
that I slayed a naked man. 


[Verse]
G                     C
'There are two swords down at my side, 
G
and dear they cost my purse; 
G                      C
And you shall have the best of them, 
    G       C       G
And I will take the worse.' 

[Verse]
G                   C
The first rook that Musgrave struck 
   G
It hurt Lord Barnard sore; 
        G                    C
But the next rook that Lord Barnard struck, 
       G        C            G
Little Musgrave ne'er struck more. 

[Verse]
G           C
Then up and spake the fair lady, 
G
from on her bed she lay.' 
 G                            C
'Although you're dead, Little Musgrave,
G         C        G 
Still for you I"ll pray. 

[Verse]
G                    C           G
"How do you like his cheek?" he said, and 
G                   
"how do you like his chin? 
    G                   C       G
and how do you like his dead body, 
    G           C    G
now there's no life within." 

[Verse]
G                      C
"It's well I like his cheek" she said, 
     G
"and more I want his chin, 
     G                C
It's more I love his dead body, than 
G        C        G
all your kith and kin." 

[Verse]
G                  C
He's taken out his long,long sword, 
   G            
to strike the mortal blow, 
    G                         C
and through, and through the lady's heart 
    G          C      G
the cold steel it did go 

[Verse]
G                        C
'A grave, a grave,' Lord Barnard cried, 
G
'To put these lovers in; 
    G                  C
But put my lady on the upper half, 
        G         C      G
For she came from better kin.' 

[Verse]
G                         C
'For I've just killed the finest knight 
     G           
That ever rode a steed; 
    G                    C
And I've just slain the fairest lady 
     G          C       G
That ever did a woman's deed." 

[Verse]
G              C
It fell upon a holy-day 
    G                
As many's in the year,
G               C 
Musgrave to the church did go
   G        C       G
to see fine ladies there