Gordon Bok – The Arbutus (Guitar)

    Am             C        G
Our king, he has a daughter fair

  F     G      Am   Em
Arbutus is her name

    F      G      C      Em
And he has gone a soldiering

       Dm                   G     Am  G
To the court of the king of Spain

          Am                  C      G
Where our harpers sang of her gentle grace

       F      G       Am   Em
Of her beauty and her face

        F       G        C          Em
And the Spanish king's declared his love

Dm                         G    Am  G
Begged she might share his name

    Am               C       G
Our Irish king, he's hurried home

         F        G        Am   Em
With all speed he could command

    F          G        C        Em
And there he's told his daughter fair

     Dm                G    Am  G
He's promised away her hand

    Am                C           G
Her lovely eyes, they filled with tears

        F           G       Am  Em
And her cheeks were scarlet red

    F       G       C           Em
"Oh Father, dear, I can't marry him

    Dm                G    Am  G
I'd rather you see me dead"

         Am              C    G
"Oh, but you shall do as I command

  F        G     Am    Em
I swear it on my sword

    F        G       C      Em
Go dress yourself in bright array

     Dm               G    Am  G
I'll hear not another word"

     Am             C      G
"But Father dear, I love a man

     F        G      Am   Em
Will Winsboro is his name

    F       G        C        Em
And I'd not leave my own true love

        Dm                  G     Am  G
For the hand of the king of Spain"

       Am               C      G
"But I swore you were a maiden fair

       F          G    Am   Em
And my Chiefs did all agree

     F        G         C        Em
I command you now, take off your gown

     Dm            G    Am  G
That I may examine thee"

     Am                 C        G
"Oh, Father dear, don't shame me so

        F          G      Am   Em
I would rather you see me dead

  F        G        C     Em
Before I'd let your noble lords

Dm                  G    Am  G
Search for my maidenhead"

      Am                 C          G
"Take off, take off your very brown gown

    F      G       Am    Em
And stand upon the stone

    F      G    C         Em
For if you be a maiden or none

    Dm               G     Am  G
The truth it must be known"

   Am                  C          G
So she's taken off her very brown gown

    F             G         Am   Em
And she's let the gown fall free

      F        G         C         Em
But before its hem could touch the ground

      Dm            G    Am  G
She's turned into a tree

        Am                      C      G
And her lover has turned to the gentle breeze

          F          G       Am   Em
Through her branches he does play

    F       G        C          Em
And she has shed her soft brown bark

 Dm        F    G   Am  G
'Till this very day