FC
And on the field of Blackheath
FC
Us commons covered the earth
GC
More men than ever I did see
FGAB
Poor honest men from birth
[Verse]
AEAE
Men came up from Kent and out of Essex too
BAB
Naught but the Thames divides us and unites us onwards through
AEAE
All the villages of England, on to London town
BAB
Where we poor men would see our king and lay our grievance down
AEAE
Wat Tyler led us men from Kent, rough hands were shaken there
BAB
King Richard and the commons, our bold resolve and prayer
[Instrumental]
GCFB
[Verse]
AEAE
We knew our king would hear us, our loyalty was clear
BAB
The bloody lawyers' poll tax had a-brought us labourers here
AEAE
And yet he wouldn't see us, so to London we did roar
BAB
And the poor there and the Essex men, burst down the prison door
[Verse]
AEAE
What happened at the Tower was justice, rough in part
BAB
The murders of the Flemish boys, sat uneasy in my heart
AEAE
"Now the king must see us", said Tyler to his men
BAB
The very next day young Richard came and met us at Mile End
[Chorus]
GD
And on the field of Blackheath
GD
Us commons covered the earth
AD
More men than ever I did see
GAB
Poor honest men from birth
[Verse]
AEAE
Kent and Essex, Bedford, Sussex received King Richard's word
BAB
No harm nor blame would come to them if home they would return
AEAE
Lincoln, Cambridge, Stafford too, received our young king's favour
BAB
Though thirty thousand left us there, believing it was over
[Verse]
AEAE
But Tyler, he was not convinced and told us to remain
BAB
"I want to hear his words again, for nothing much has changed"
AEAE
Tyler, he approached the king and took Richard by the arm
BAB
And his rough but friendly gesture, caused Richard's knights alarm
[Instrumental]
EBEBF#BEF#G#
[Verse]
AEAE
"Ah, me lord " said Tyler, "companions we will be"
BAB
"I shall trust in you my lord, if you will trust in me"
AEAE
So he called for water, and then he called for ale
BAB
And his manner shocked young Richard's knights and I watched the Lord Mayor pale
[Verse]
AEAE
"I know this man" a voice accused, "Wat Tyler is a thief"
BAB
The Lord Mayor feared he'd harm the king, that was his true belief
AEAE
And there at Smithfield, drew his sword and cut our captain down
BAB
And the heart went out of all of us, with his blood upon the ground
[Chorus]
GD
And on the field of Blackheath
GD
Us commons covered the earth
AD
More men than ever I did see
GAB
Poor honest men from birth
[Verse]
AEAE
Young Richard, he was merciful when he pardoned one and all
BAB
But home to Kent like beaten dogs, still serfs we had to crawl
GDGD
But how precious was our liberty and the hope that filled us all
ADEmDG
Left poor Tyler's severed head upon a bloody pole...