Widecombe Fair - Show Of Hands

It was early dawn when we met out on the hillside

On our way to Widdecombe Fair

To drink ourselves dry make a big noise there

Six Devon lads with a younger boy

Whose mother had said «Promise me now you’ll watch for him

He’s never slept out of home before

And you know too well there’ll be trouble in store»

I gave her my word and we crossed the moor

It was growing dark, we stopped at the inn, when we saw her

Fair-faced in the candle-light

Such a fine sight with her long black hair

Young Billy stared and she stared right back

But the landlord said she’s spoken for, he said leave me here alone

I’ll meet you tomorrow, on your way back home

At the cross-ways, at noon on the Whiddon Down Road

You go and I’ll stay, you boys go and I’ll stay

I said take my watch and my chain, we all hit the road again

Four miles to the fairground, we had a fine time there

Next day came, we waited in the rain

At the crossroads, but the boy never came

I said you go ahead, I returned to the inn

But the landlord said that the last thing seen was a boy and a girl

Out on the moor that was all he knew, and he showed me the door

I called and I cried God knows I tried

Until the long night came, his mother flew at me

She called me names, scratched my face

Said I was too blame, and asked would

She ever see her sweet sweet son again

Well a year went by without one sign

I’m back at the inn to see what I’d find

And the wind whistled cold on the moor that night

I thought I saw a couple in the pale moonlight

The landlord said it’s you again, from his pocket hung down my watch and chain

Tom I sat down on a stone and I cried

Knowing full well that the young lad died

Tom Tom lend me your grey mare

I want to go back to Widdecombe fair

With Bill and Jan, Peter and Dan, Harry and Pete, on the moors we’ll meet

All along down along out along lee

All along down along out along lee