The Yew Tree

	  		 

Dm 
A mile frae Pentcaitland, on the road to the sea 
Stands a yew tree a thousand years old 
And the old women swear by the grey o' their hair 
That it knows what the future will hold 
        G          C              Dm 
For the shadows of Scotland stand round it 
         C                         G 
'Mid the kail and the corn and the kye 
        F                        C 
All the hopes and the fears of a thousand long years 
Dm        C       Bb 
Under the Lothian sky 
              C 
My bonnie yew tree 
                     Dm 
Tell me what did you see 

Guitar 

        Em               D           C           Em 
Did you look through the haze o' the lang summer days 
        C             D           Em 
Tae the South and the far English border 
       Em         D        C             Em 
A' the bonnets o' steel on Flodden's far field 
         C             D            Em 
Did they march by your side in good order 
        A            D              Em 
Did you ask them the price o' their glory 
         D                           A 
When you heard the great slaughter begin 
        G                              D           Bm     
For the dust o' their bones would rise up from the stones 
         Em           D           Em 
To bring tears to the eyes o' the wind 
              D 
My bonnie yew tree 
                     Em     C    Em     
Tell me what did you see 
  
    Em           D             C            Em 
Not once did you speak for the poor and the weak 
         C             D           Em 
When the moss-troopers lay in your shade 
   Em            D           C             Em 
To count out the plunder and hide frae the thunder 
    C             D               Em 
And share out the spoils o' their raid 
    A           D             Em 
But you saw the smiles o' the gentry 
        D                          A 
And the laughter of lords at their gains 
         G                         D              
When the poor hunt the poor across mountain and moor 
    Em           D            Em 
The rich man can keep them in chains 
              D 
My bonnie yew tree  
                     Em     C   Em  
Tell me what did you see 

        Em            D         C            Em 
Did you no' think tae tell when John Knox himsel' 
         C          D            Em 
Preached under your branches sae black 
      Em           D              C           Em 
To the poor common folk who would lift up the yoke 
       C           D                  Em 
O' the bishops and priests frae their backs 
    A            D          Em 
But you knew the bargain he sold them 
    D                    A 
And freedom was only one part 
        G                          D          Bm   
For the price o' their souls was a gospel sae cold 
N.C. 
It would freeze up the joy in their hearts 
              D 
My bonnie yew tree  
                     Em      C   Em 
Tell me what did you see 


   Solo 

            Am  D   G   Em   

            Am  D   G   Em 

            F   Em  F   Em 

            F   G   A 


Em                            
And I thought as I stood and laid hands on your wood 
     
That it might be a kindness to fell you 
             
One kiss o' the axe and you're freed frae the racks 
       C          D              Em 
O' the sad bloody tales that men tell you 

Slowed down 
      A             D             Em 
But a wee bird flew out from your branches 
    D                   A 
And sang out as never before 
        G                        D              Bm   
And the words o' the song were a thousand years long 
       Em             D             Em 
And to learn them's a long thousand more 
              D 
My bonnie yew tree  
                     Em 
Tell me what CAN you see