The Ballad Of St Annes Reel

	  		verse 1 
      G                             C                  G 
He was stranded in some tiny town on fair Prince Edward Isle, 
G                                   D 
waiting for a ship to come and find him 
C                    D                   G                 C 
A one-horse place, a friendly face, some coffee and a tiny trace 
G                  D                   G 
of fiddling in the distance far behind him. 

verse 2 

  G                                C            G 
A dime across the counter, then, a shy hello, a brand new friend. 
G                                     D 
A walk along the street in the wintry weather. 
C                  D            G               C 
A yellow light, an open door, a welcome friend, there's room for more, 
G                         D            G 
And then they're standing there inside together. 

verse 3 

G                                                    F              C 
He said I've heard that tune before somewhere, but I can't remember when. 
G                                            F              Am 
Was it on some other friendly shore or did I hear it on the wind? 
C                                          Am                C 
Was it written on the sky above? I think I heard it from someone I love, 
G                    D                    G 
but I never heard it sound so sweet since then 

verse 4 
G                            C                   G 
Now his feet begin to tap, a young boy says I'll take your hat. 
G                                  D 
He's caught up in the magic of her smile. 
C             D                G                        C 
And leap, the heart inside him went, and off across the floor he sent 
G               D             G 
his clumsy body graceful as a child. 

Verse 5 

G                                                   F             C 
He said there's magic in the fiddler's arm, there's magic in this town. 
G                                          F                 Am 
There's magic in the dancers' feet and the way they put them down. 
C                          Am                 C 
People smiling everywhere, boots and ribbons, locks of hair, 
G                    D                     G 
and laughter and old blue suits and Easter gowns. 

Verse 6 

G                                            F           C 
Now the sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's sitting there, 
G                                   D 
someone's hat's left hanging on the rack. 
C                 D                     G                  C 
And empty chairs, the wooden floor that feels the touch of shoes no more, 
G                D               G 
awaiting for the dancers to come back. 

Verse 7 

G                                      F               C 
And the fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town. 
G                                                 F                Am 
The strings are broke and the bow is gone and the cover's buttoned down. 
C                                          Am                  C 
But sometimes on December nights, when the air is cold and the wind is right, 
          G           D                   G 
There's a melody that passes through this town.