Lyrics from live recording at City Winery on 2017-04-19
https://archive.org/details/jr2017-04-19.mk6.edtyre/joshritter2017-04-19.mk6.edtyre.t11.flac
[Intro]
Em Em Em Em
[Verse 1]
Em
Oh, I have a silver blade,
D
The edges sharp, the handle bone.
Am
A pretty thing of silver made,
C
Now it's the only thing I own.
Em
Once I knew a lordling fine.
D
I heard him whistle as he rode.
Am
And I was bold to call him mine.
C
The shoes upon his horse were gold.
Em D Am C
[Verse 2]
Em
One look in my eyes and he,
D
Bid me climb onto his horse.
Am
And asked if I'd his lady be,
C
And go away for ever more?
Em
He spoke of love songs at each kiss,
D
And I who was a young girl then,
Am
Was promissed every young girls bliss,
C
Got up and rode away with him.
Em
He led me through his castle tall,
D
With promises and jewels until,
Am
He led me through his castle hall,
C
And took my clothes and worked his will.
Em
And when he had and I lay there,
D
From my head with a silver blade,
Am
He cut a lock of my cold black hair,
C
And bid me dress and go my way.
[Break]
Em D Am C
Em D Am C
[Verse 3]
Em
But I marked well the silver blade,
D
And where he laid it when he did,
Am
And when his back was turned away,
C
I burried it beneath his ribs.
Em
I used the dagger as a spade,
D
Where the thorns and lilacs grow.
Am
I cut the ground into a grave,
C
In a place even God don't know.
Em
And every evening I returned,
D
To the place for him I chose,
Am
Until his skin had turned to worms,
C
Wild dogs scattered his bones.
Em
And all I have of what I was,
D
Is the memory of a maid,
Am
Who mistook a thief for love,
C
But who gained a silver blade.
Em D Am C
[Outro]
Em D Am C
Silver blade.
Em D Am C
Em D Am C