The Battle chords by The Strawbs

SimplifiedEm · C · D · A · Am …

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Intro 1
Em 
C 
Em 
C 
Em 
D 
Em 
 (E minor)  (C major)  (E minor)  (C major)  (E minor)  (D major)  (E minor) 
D 
C 
D 
A 
Em 
A 
Em 
 (D major)  (C major)  (D major)  (A major)  (E minor)  (A major)  (E minor) 
Am 
Em 
 (A minor)  (E minor) 
D 
Em 
 (D major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) In the

Verse 1
Em 
early dawn the Bishop's men  (E minor) 
D 
Em 
Shivered  (D major) in the damp  (E minor) 
D 
But the shiver came not from the  (D major) cold
C 
And  (C major) spread throughout
D 
the camp  (D major) 

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Verse 2

The trembling horses sensed the fear

Of silent thoughtful men

Who prayed that wives and families

Might see them once again

Verse 3
Em 
 (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) The bishops sent
Em 
a dawn patrol  (E minor) 
D 
Em 
To invest (D major) igate the weight  (E minor) 
D 
Of forces at the King's  (D major) command
C 
D 
Ensconced  (C major) behind the gate  (D major) 

Verse 4
A 
Em 
The ground  (A major) mist hid the patrol's  (E minor) approach
A 
As they  (A major) drew close enough
Em 
to  (E minor) show
Am 
Em 
The sentries  (A minor) on the  (E minor) bat tlements
D 
And an  (D major) archer drew his bow
Em 
 (E minor) 

Verse 5
C 
Em 
 (C major) From the topmost tower a sentry  (E minor) fell
D 
Em 
As an  (D major) arrow pierced his skull  (E minor) 
D 
And his headlong flight into  (D major) the moat
C 
D 
 (C major) Seemed that of a gull  (D major) 

Verse 6
A 
Em 
The patrol  (A major) reported little  (E minor) 
A 
There was  (A major) nothing much
Em 
to see  (E minor) 
Am 
Em 
But the strong  (A minor) and silent castle  (E minor) 
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
A sym (D major) bol of the  (E minor) free  (C major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) The

Verse 7

King's men took communion

As the first rays of the sun

Lit up the castle's gloomy walls

The fatal day begun

Verse 8
A 
From the  (A major) castle green the rooks
Em 
took  (E minor) flight
A 
Em 
To the high  (A major) trees in the east (E minor) 
Am 
Em 
To their  (A minor) carrion minds the  (E minor) battlefield
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
C 
Set a  (D major) table for a  (E minor) feast  (C major)  (E minor)  (C major) 

Verse 9

A tide of black, the Bishop's men

Equality their right

Swarmed like ants across the hill

Their aim at last in sight

Verse 10
A 
Em 
The King's  (A major) men dressed in purest  (E minor) white
A 
Em 
Were  (A major) driven back by for (E minor) ce
Am 
Em 
And the  (A minor) fighting grew more  (E minor) vi  olent
D 
Em 
As the  (D major) battle took its course  (E minor) 
C 
Em 
C 
 (C major)  (E minor)  (C major) 

Verse 11
Em 
The Bishops gave the order (E minor) 
D 
Em 
No  (D major) mercy to be shown  (E minor) 
D 
The sacrifice will reap  (D major) rewards
C 
When the  (C major) King is overthrown
D 
 (D major) The

Verse 12
A 
Em 
 (A major) sight of children  (E minor) ly  ing dead
A 
Made  (A major) hardened soldiers weep
Em 
Am 
Em 
 (E minor) The  (A minor) outer walls began to  (E minor) fall
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
They  (D major) moved towards the  (E minor) keep (C major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) The

Verse 13

rooks surveyed the battlefield

Their hungry beady eyes

Reveled in the sight of death

Showing no surprise

Verse 14
A 
Em 
The  (A major) pressure mounted steadily  (E minor) 
A 
Em 
As the  (A major) Bishops neared the gate  (E minor) 
D 
And the  (D major) desperate King
Em 
called  (E minor) to his knights
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
It's  (D major) your lives or the  (E minor) State  (C major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) When the

Verse 15

anxious King began to fail

As many thought he might

The Queen ran screaming round the walls

And urged the men to fight

Verse 16
A 
Em 
The  (A major) Bishop's men were tiring  (E minor) 
A 
Em 
As the  (A major) afternoon drew late  (E minor) 
Am 
And the  (A minor) King's men
Em 
lowered the  (E minor) drawbridge
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
And  (D major) poured out through the  (E minor) gate  (C major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) They

Verse 17

fought their way across the bridge

The men like falling leaves

Or ears of corn that fall in swathes

The vi cious sickle cleaves

Verse 18
A 
Em 
The  (A major) tide receded up  (E minor) the hill
A 
Em 
The  (A major) waste of reclaimed  (E minor) land
Am 
Em 
 (A minor) Once decaying swamp  (E minor) became
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
A shore  (D major) of pure white  (E minor) sand  (C major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) A

Verse 19

blinded priest was seen to bless

Both dying and the dead

As he stumbled around the battlefield

His cassock running red

Verse 20
A 
Em 
If uni (A major) form were black or white  (E minor) 
A 
Em 
His eyes  (A major) could never see  (E minor) 
Am 
Em 
And  (A minor) death made no distinc (E minor) tion
D 
Em 
C 
Em 
Whatever  (D major) man he  (E minor) be   (C major)  (E minor) 
C 
 (C major) As

Verse 21
darkness fell both
Em 
camps  (E minor) withdrew
Dm 
Em 
Their sol (D minor) diers slain like  (E minor) cattle
D 
Leaving the rooks to feast  (D major) alone
C 
Dm 
The  (C major) victors of the battle  (D minor) 
D 
 (D major) At

Verse 22
F#m 
Em 
 (F sharp minor) evensong both  (E minor) camps reviewed
F#m 
Em 
Their  (F sharp minor) sad   depleted  (E minor) ranks
D 
C 
As sur (D major) vivors of the  (C major) battle
Bm 
G 
A 
Gave  (B minor) God  (G major) their grate (A major) ful thanks