Lizard

G                Bb           C         G
Granny Green was stooped as a windblown branch

          Bb                  F
She lived high in the bramble forest

       G                 Bb   C     G
Once a fortnight, if the moon shone right

         Bb                 F
she came down to our little village

            G            Bb  C      G
She brought blackberries and willow bark

Bb                F
mandrake root and mushrooms

       G            Bb        C         G
And it was said she spoke the tongue of birds

         Bb                F
And understood the river’s whispers

            Eb              Bb
Now several girls among our town

     F                       Cm
by a golden lizard they were bitten

          G           Bb        C        G
And those sweet girls lay stiff in their beds

     Bb         C         G
like frozen ice up on the branches

G              Bb          C         G
Granny Green mixed a tonic for their ills

           Bb            F
but it was such a bitter tonic

        G     Bb    C  G
All who drank began to dance

          Bb             F
and could not stop their dancing

    Cm                                Gm
But none would have danced one sinful step

        Bb        C         G
If that old crone had not bewitched us

G Bb C G
Bb F

G      Bb         C           G
How we leaped and pranced and cackled

          Bb            F
the whole town writhing madmen

       Cm                                 Gm
And so desperate grew some to still their feet

     Bb   C               Gm
they dove into the raging river

         Eb                Bb
Still we danced on day and night

         F                          Cm
till our fine clothes were torn and ragged

           G         Bb      C     G
And crying out, “Oh, Lord, make us stop!”

          Bb    C         G
we danced naked round the chapel

G          Bb          C       G
How Granny laughed to see such sin.

           Bb                       F
“It’s just water,” she said, “in my tonic!”

              G         Bb        C      G
But all cried out, “She lies! She surely lies!”

               Bb   C        G
and chased her deep into the bramble

             Eb             Bb
But like the four winds she disappeared

          F                            Cm
Though we searched round and round the branches

           G          Bb    C          G
Rolling in leaves and naked ‘neath the trees

            Bb  C           G
we lost the way back to our village

Cm Gm

      Eb                        Bb
But I swear we were all pure of heart

          F             Cm
till that old crone did bewitch us

      G       Bb   C      G
And I know we will all go home

         Bb        C          G
when the good Lord returns to save us

Cm Gm
Bb C G