Tam Lin Cifras

[Introduction]
C
 
[Verse-A 1]
    C            F
Oh, I forbid you maidens all
     C                 G
That wear gold in your hair
   C             F
To come or go by Carterhaugh
    C                C
For young Tam Lin is there.
 
[Verse-A 2]
C            F
If you go by Carterhaugh
    C                G
You must leave him a ward:
C                    F
Either your rings or green mantle
   C
Or else your maidenhead.
 
[Verse-A 3]
C               F
She’s away o’er gravel green
    C               G
And o’er the gravel brown;
C             F
She’s away to Carterhaugh
   C
To flower herself a gown.
 
[Verse-A 4]
    C                F
She had not pulled a rosy rose,
  C               G
A rose but barely one,
     C            F
When by came this brisk young man,
       C
Says, "Lady, let alone.
 
[Bridge-A 1]
    Bb               F
How dare you pull my rose, Madam?
    C                 G
How dare you break my tree?
    Bb               F
How dare you come to Carterhaugh
    C                G
Without the leave of me?"
 
[Verse-A 5]
      C              F
"Well may I pull the rose," she said,
    C                 G
"Well may I break the tree.
    C              F
For Carterhaugh is my father’s,
     C
I’ll ask no leave of thee."
 
[Chorus]
C      F           C         G
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
C      F           C         G      C
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
 
[Verse-A 6]
     C                F
He’s taken her by the milk-white hand
    C                   G
And there he’s laid her down,
    C                 F
And there he asked no leave of her
   C
As she lay on the ground.
 
[Verse-A 7]
    C                  F
"Oh tell me, tell me," then she said,
    C               G
"Oh tell me who art thee?"
    C              F
"My name it is Tam Lin," he said,
     C
"And this is my story:
 
[Bridge-A 2]
   Bb           F
As it fell out upon a day,
  C           G
A-hunting I did ride;
      Bb              F
There came a wind out of the north
    C          G
And woe it did betide.
 
[Verse-A 8]
    C              F
And drowsy, drowsy as I was,
    C             G
The sleep upon me fell;
    C                F
The Queen of Fairies she was there,
    C
And took me to herself.
 
[Chorus]
C      F           C         G
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
C      F           C         G      C
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
 
[Instrumental-A]
(as Verse-A and Bridge-A)
C  F  | C  G
C  F  | C
C  F  | C  G
C  F  | C
Bb F  | C  G
Bb F  | C  G
C  F  | C  G
C  F  | C
 
[Bridge-A 3]
       Bb           F
At the end of every seven years
     C              G
They pay a tithe to Hell;
    Bb              F
And I’m so fain and full of flesh,
  C               G
I fear ’t will be myself.
 
[Verse-A 9]
  C                F
Tonight it is good Halloween,
    C                G
The fairy court will ride;
    C                 F
And if you would your true love win,
   C
At Mile’s Cross, you must bide."
 
[Chorus*]
C      F           C         G
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
C      F           C         G
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
C      F           C         G
Oh, in Carterhaugh, in Carterhaugh
 
[Bridge-B 4]
E
 
[Verse-B 1]
E
Gloomy was the night
    E
And eerie was the way;
     G           D
This lady in her green mantle
   D                    C
To Mile’s Cross she did go.
 
         C          G
With the holy water in her hand
    A                C
She cast the compass round;
   C                  G
At twelve o’clock the fairy court
     A
Came riding o’er the bound.
 
[Verse-B 2]
E
First came by the black steed
    E
And then came by the brown,
     G            D
Then Tam Lin on a milk-white steed
    D                   C
With a gold star in his crown.
 
      C                 G
She’s pulled him down into her arms
    A              C
And let the bridle fall;
    C                G
The Queen of Fairies she cried out,
       A
"Young Tam Lin is awa."
 
[Verse-B 3]
        E
They’ve shaped him in her arms,
      E
To an adder or a snake;
      G                 D
She’s held him fast and feared him not
   D              C
To be her earthly mate.
 
        C                 G
They’ve shaped him in her arms again
   A            C
To fire burning bold;
      C                 G
She’s held him fast and feared him not
     A
Till he was iron cold.
 
[Verse-B 4]
        E
They’ve shaped him in her arms
     E
To a wood black dog so wild;
      G                 D
She’s held him fast and feared him not,
    D             C
The father of her child.
 
        C                 G
They’ve shaped him in her arms at last
  A          C
Into a naked man;
      C                  G
She’s wrapped him in the green mantle
    A
And knew that she had him won.
 
[Instrumental-B]
(as Verse-B)
E    | E
G  D | D  C
C  G | A  C
    C                G
The Queen of Fairies she cried out,
       A
"Young Tam Lin is awa."
 
[Bridge-C]
A   C
[Verse-C 1]
C                                  C C/B Am
Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin,
Am                                     C
Long before, long before you came from home,
      C                   G
Had I known, I would have taken out your heart
    D7sus2            Am
And put in a heart of stone.
C   G  D7sus2  Am
 
[Verse-C 2]
      C                            C C/B Am
Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin,
Am                              C
That a lady, a lady would steal thee,
      C                   G
Had I known, I would have taken out your eyes
    D7sus2            Am
And put in two from a tree.
C   G  D7sus2  Am
 
[Verse-C 3]
      C                            C C/B Am
Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin,
Am                              C
That I would lose, that I would lose the day,
      C                   G
Had I known, I would have paid my tithe to hell
  D7sus2              Am
Before you’d been won away.
X