Bedlam Boys

(Traditional)

          Bm                            A              Bm                  A    Bm

For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam     Ten thousand miles I’ve traveled.

          Bm                            A              Bm                  A    Bm

Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes,     for to save her shoes from gravel.

Chorus:

Bm   A   G                        A        Bm

Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys,     Bedlam boys are bonny.

             Bm   A                    G            F#                 Bm                A    Bm

For they all go bare and they live by the air   and they want no drink nor money.

I now repent that ever     Poor Tom was so disdain-ed

My wits are lost since him I crossed     Which makes me thus go chained

I went down to Satan's kitchen     For to get me food one morning

And there I got souls piping hot     All on the spit a-turning

There I took up a caldron     Where boiled ten thousand harlots

Though full of flame I drank the same     To the health of all such varlets

My staff has murdered giants My bag a long knife carries

For to cut mince pies from children's thighs And feed them to the fairies

The spirits white as lightening     Would on me travels guide me

The stars would shake and the moon would quake     Whenever they espied me

No gypsy, slut or doxy     Shall win my mad Tom from me

I'll weep all night, with stars I'll fight     The fray shall well become me

And when that I'll be murdering     The Man in the Moon to the powder

His staff I'll break, his dog I'll shake     And there'll howl no demon louder

So drink to Tom of Bedlam     Go fill the seas in barrels

I'll drink it all, well brewed with gall     And maudlin drunk I'll quarrel

For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam     Ten thousand years I have traveled

Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes     For to save her shoes from gravel.

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