Lizard

	  		

G                Bb           C         G 
Granny Green was stooped as a windblown branch 

          Bb                  F 
She lived high in the bramble forest 

       G                 Bb   C     G 
Once a fortnight, if the moon shone right 

         Bb                 F 
she came down to our little village 

            G            Bb  C      G  
She brought blackberries and willow bark 

Bb                F 
mandrake root and mushrooms 

       G            Bb        C         G 
And it was said she spoke the tongue of birds 

         Bb                F 
And understood the river’s whispers 

            Eb              Bb   
Now several girls among our town 

     F                       Cm 
by a golden lizard they were bitten 

          G           Bb        C        G 
And those sweet girls lay stiff in their beds 

     Bb         C         G 
like frozen ice up on the branches 

G              Bb          C         G 
Granny Green mixed a tonic for their ills 

           Bb            F 
but it was such a bitter tonic 

        G     Bb    C  G 
All who drank began to dance 

          Bb             F 
and could not stop their dancing 

    Cm                                Gm 
But none would have danced one sinful step 

        Bb        C         G 
If that old crone had not bewitched us 

G Bb C G 
Bb F 

G      Bb         C           G 
How we leaped and pranced and cackled 

          Bb            F 
the whole town writhing madmen 

       Cm                                 Gm 
And so desperate grew some to still their feet 

     Bb   C               Gm 
they dove into the raging river 

         Eb                Bb 
Still we danced on day and night 

         F                          Cm 
till our fine clothes were torn and ragged 

           G         Bb      C     G 
And crying out, “Oh, Lord, make us stop!” 

          Bb    C         G 
we danced naked round the chapel 

G          Bb          C       G 
How Granny laughed to see such sin. 

           Bb                       F 
“It’s just water,” she said, “in my tonic!” 

              G         Bb        C      G 
But all cried out, “She lies! She surely lies!” 

               Bb   C        G 
and chased her deep into the bramble 

             Eb             Bb 
But like the four winds she disappeared 

          F                            Cm 
Though we searched round and round the branches 

           G          Bb    C          G 
Rolling in leaves and naked ‘neath the trees 

            Bb  C           G 
we lost the way back to our village 

Cm Gm 

      Eb                        Bb 
But I swear we were all pure of heart 

          F             Cm 
till that old crone did bewitch us 

      G       Bb   C      G 
And I know we will all go home 

         Bb        C          G 
when the good Lord returns to save us 

Cm Gm 
Bb C G