Fairport Convention – The Hiring Fair (Guitar)

Em                 C           G              D/F#
I went down to the hiring fair for to sell my labour

  Em                    C                Bm                C
I noticed a maid in the very next row, I hoped she'd be my neighbour

 G           D/F#                Em               C
Imagine then my delight when the farmer picked us both

                                 D
Though I spoke not a word on the cart to the farm

                    Em      C
My heart beat in my throat

   Em                     C              G             D/F#
My lodging was dry and my master fair, I gave him full measure

     Em                   C              Bm                  C
Like corn in the field my envy grew, for in his house was my treasure

  G                 D/F#            Em            C
I watched her carry water, or drive cows from the byre

                                   D
And the heat from the sun made the corn grow strong

                 Em    C  Em  C
And with it my desire

  Em            C            G              D/F#
I see her in my dreaming and in my dreams caress

    Em                  C                    Bm                 C
Her lips, her eyes, her dark brown hair, the curves beneath her dress

    G               D/F#             Em            C
And harvest time it came at last, so heavy was our task

                                  D
That the women and the men worked side by side

                     Em    C  Em  C
So I had her near at last

Em             C               G                    D
I swung harder with my scythe, few words between us passed

  Em                    C             Bm                  C
I cursed my tongue-tied youthfulness, hoped she'd hear my heart

     G              D/F#         Em             C
When all was safely gathered in, we sat down to rest

                     D
My trembling fingers touched her arm

                       Em
She placed them on her breast

    Em                  C                 G             D/F#
She turned to me as the sun went down and all my senses reeled

Em                  C                       Bm                 C
We lay there on the scented ground 'til the moon rose over the field

Em             C              G                  D/F#
She was safely gathered in my arms when from the barn

Em                     C             Bm             C
Drifted the sound of a violin and we hurried to the farm

G                       D/F#              Em               C
All were dancing in the lantern light and music filled the air

                                D
And I thanked the stars and the harvest moon

                             Em
For the girl from the hiring fair