I'd like to point out that the lyrics are adapted/extended considerably from a Gaelic poem and the tune is borrowed from a Basque lullaby, so in many ways this is a "trad adaptation" by Archie Fisher, who is AWESOME. His 1976 liner notes on it: “The compatibility of unrequited love and strong drink has been the theme of many a traditional song. Speaking from experience, it doesn't help in the long run, but think of the songs we'd miss without the experiment. The melody is that of a Basque lullaby and the words are my reconstruction from a line or two of Gaelic poetry.”

I have a fairly contralto chest voice, so I like to sing this one in Bb, thus I had to figure out chords for that. Try this, each line is separated by a "/" but you will have to figure out exactly where the changes are because formatting that in mudcat is horrible beyond descriptions of frustration... each verse has the same pattern, though. Luck! - Heather P


Bb / Cm F Bb / Bb Cm F-Bb / Cm F Bb /Bb Cm F-Bb

Deep and dark are my true love’s eyes,
Blacker still is the winter’s turning,
As the sadness of parting proves.
And brighter now is the lantern burning
That lightens my path to love.