The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
And the highwayman came riding
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding up to the old inn-door
With a French cocked hat on his forehead lace at his chin
A coat of claret velvet breeches of brown doeskin
His boots up to the thigh a twinkle in his eye
His pistol butts a-twinkle
His rapier hilt a-twinkle
Under the jeweled sky
Over the cobbles he clattered in the dark inn-yard
He whistled a tune to the window where love awaited there
A whispered promise in the night
To Bess his heart's delight
He vowed to return by moonlight no matter what the fight
In the moonlight shadows fall
The highwayman rides heed his call
Love and death in the midnight air
A tale of passion bold and rare
One kiss my bonny sweetheart I'm after a prize tonight
But I shall be back with gold before the morning light;
Yet if they press me sharply and chase me through the day
Then look for me by moonlight
Watch for me by moonlight
I'll come to thee by moonlight though hell should bar the way"
He rose upright in the stirrups her hand in his grasp
She loosened her hair from the casement his heart in its clasp
And he kissed her hair in the moonlight
O sweet black waves in the moonlight
Then he tugged at his reins in the moonlight and galloped to the west
In the moonlight shadows fall
The highwayman rides heed his call
Love and death in the midnight air
A tale of passion bold and rare
He did not come at dawning he did not come at noon
And out of the tawny sunset before the rise of the moon
A red-coat troop came marching
Marching—marching
King George's men came marching up to the old inn-door
They drank his ale without a word
But bound his daughter tight no matter what she heard
There was death at every window
And hell at one dark window
For Bess could see the road where he would ride
In the moonlight shadows fall
The highwayman rides heed his call
Love and death in the midnight air
A tale of passion bold and rare
Now keep good watch!" and they mocked her she heard the doomed man say
Look for me by moonlight
Watch for me by moonlight;
I'll come to thee by moonlight though hell should bar the way!
She twisted her hands behind her till the knots held good
She writhed her hands till they bled with every effort she could
Till on the stroke of midnight
Cold on the stroke of midnight
Her finger touched the trigger! At last she had her way!
The tip of one finger touched it she stood with a steady breath
She would not risk their hearing she would not strive again;
For the road lay bare in the moonlight
Blank and bare in the moonlight;
And her blood throbbed to his refrain
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! The horsehoofs rang clear;
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot in the distance nearing near
Down the ribbon of moonlight over the brow of the hill
The highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The redcoats primed their muskets! She stood up straight and still
Her musket shattered the moonlight
Shattered her breast in the moonlight
Warned him—with her death
In the moonlight shadows fall
The highwayman rides heed his call
Love and death in the midnight air
A tale of passion bold and rare
Back he spurred like a madman cursing the sky
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier held high
When they shot him down on the highway
Down like a dog on the highway
He lay in his blood on the highway with a bunch of lace at his throat
And still on a winter's night when the wind is in the trees
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
A highwayman comes riding
Riding—riding
A highwayman comes riding up to the old inn-door