Johnny Of Bradys Lea

    A       E         A
Oh, Johnny rose on a May morning,
                             D
Called for water to wash his hands,
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Saying “Bring to me my two grey dogs,
                  E      D
That lie bound in iron bands.”
      E
When Johnny’s mother she heard of this,
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She wrung her hands full sore,
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Says “Johnny, for your venison
         E          D     E
To the green woods do not go.”

[Verse 2]
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“For there are seven foresters in Esslemont,
                        D
And this you know full well,
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For one small drop of your heart’s blood
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They would ride to the gates of Hell.”
              E
“Oh, there’s many men are my friends, Mother,
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Though many more are my foe.
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And betide me well or betide me ill,
    E      D      E
A-hunting I will go.”

[Verse 3]
    A          E          A
So Johnny has taken his good bent bow,
                   D
His arrows one by one,
     A            D   A
And he’s away to Monymusk
                   E        D
For to bring the dun deer down.

[Instrumental]
E
D   A  E
A D A  D
E  D   E

[Verse 4]
    A          E          A
Oh, Johnny shot and the dun deer rose,
                         D
He’s wounded her in the side.
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And between the water and the woods,
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The two dogs laid her pride.
          E
And they ate so much of the venison,
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They drank so much of the blood,
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That Johnny and his two grey dogs
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Fell asleep as if they had been dead.

[Verse 5]
    A          E     A
And by there came a sly old man,
                    D
A silly old man was he,
     A           D     A
And he’s away to Esslemont
                E        D
For to tell on young Johnny.
       E
“As I came in by Monymusk,
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And down among yon scrogs,
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It was there I spied the bonniest youth
        E           D       E
Lying sleeping between two dogs.”

[Verse 6]
          A        E       A
“And the buttons that were on his coat
                     D
Were of the gold so good,
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And the two grey dogs that he lay between,
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Their mouths they were died with blood.”
     E
And up and spoke the first forester,
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He was headsman over them all,
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“Can this be Johnny of Brady’s Lea?
   E      D       E
Unto him we will crawl.”

[Verse 7]
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And the very first shot that the foresters fired,
                        D
It wounded him in the thigh,
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The very next shot that the foresters fired,
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His heart’s blood blinded his eye.
     E
Then up woke Johnny from out of his sleep,
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An angry man was he.
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He says “The wildest wolf in all this wood
       E            D      E
Would not have done so by me.”

[Verse 8]
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And he’s leaned his back against an oak,
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His foot against a stone,
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And he has fired on the seven foresters,
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He’s killed them all but one.
     E
And he’s broken seven of this man’s ribs,
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His arm and his collarbone,
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And he has set him on to his horse,
     E         D       E
To bring the tidings home.

[Verse 9]
N.C.
Johnny’s good bent bow is broke,
N.C.
And his two grey dogs are slain,
N.C.
And his body lies in Monymusk,
N.C.
And his hunting days are done.