The Battle chords

Strawbs

Key: 

Simplify chords 

  			
  
  
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