The Ballad Of St Annes Reel

      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
C                  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,
C                         D            G
And then they're standing there inside together.

[Verse 3]

D                                                    C              G
He said I've heard that tune before somewhere, but I can't remember when.
D                                            C              Em
Was it on some other friendly shore or did I hear it on the wind?
G                      D                   C                G
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

[Instrumental]

G        C    G
G        C D  G
G   C    D    G  x2

[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
C               D             G
his clumsy body graceful as a child.

[Verse 5]

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

[Instrumental]

G        C    G
G        C D  G
G   C    D    G  x2

[Verse 6]

G                                             C          G
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,
C                D               G
awaiting for the dancers to come back.

[Verse 7]

D                                                    C              G
And the fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town.
D                                            C              Em
The strings are broke and the bow is gone and the cover's buttoned down.
G                      D                   C                G
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.

[Instrumental]

G        C    G
G        C D  G
G   C    D    G  x2