Written by Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson
Bm D A Fm Within the fire and out upon the sea Bm A Bm Crazy Man Michael was walking Bm D A Fm He met with a raven with eyes black as coals Bm A Bm And shortly they were a-talking Fm Bm "Your future, your future, I would tell to you Fm A Your future, you often have asked me Bm A Bm Fm Your true love will die by your own right hand Bm A Bm And Crazy Man Michael will cursed be" Bm D A Fm Michael he ranted and Michael he raved Bm A Bm And beat at the four winds with his fists-oh Bm D A Fm He laughed and he cried, he shouted and he swore Bm A Bm For his mad mind had trapped him with a kiss-oh Fm Bm "You speak with an evil, you speak with a hate Fm A You speak for the devil that haunts me Bm A Bm Fm For is she not the fairest in all the broad land? Bm A Bm Your sorceror's words are to taunt me" Bm D A Fm He took out his dagger of fire and of steel Fm A And struck down the raven through the heart-oh Bm D A Fm The bird fluttered long and the sky it did spin Fm A Bm And the cold earth did wonder and start-oh Fm Bm "Oh, where is the raven that I struck down dead Fm A That here'd lie here on the ground-oh? Bm A Bm Fm I see but my true love with a wound so red" Bm A Bm Her lover's heart it did pound-oh Bm D A Fm Crazy Man Michael, he wanders and walks And talks to the night and the day-oh Bm D A Fm But his eyes they are sane and his speech it is clear Bm A Bm And he longs to be far away-oh Fm Bm Michael he whistles the simplest of tunes Fm A And asks the wild woods their pardon Bm A Bm Fm For his true love is flown into every flower grown Bm A Bm And he must be keeper of the garden