Sandy Denny

Within the fire and out upon the sea
Crazy man michael was walking.
He met with a raven with eyes black as coals
And shortly they were a-talking
``your futureyour futureI would tell to you.
Your futureyou often have asked me.
Your true love will die by your own right hand.
And crazy man michael will cursed be.’’
Michael he ranted and michael he raved
And beat at the four winds with his fists-o.
He laughed and he criedhe shouted and he swore
For his mad mind had trapped him with a kiss-o.
``you speak with an evilyou speak with a hate
You speak for the devil that haunts me
For is she not the fairest in all the broad land
Your sorcerer’s words are to taunt me.’’
He took out his dagger of fire and of steel
And struck down the raven through the heart-o.
The bird fluttered long and the sky it did spin
And the cold earth did wonder and start-o.
``ohwhere is the raven that I struck down dead
That here’d lie on the ground-o?
I see but my true love with a wound so red
Where her lover’s heart it did pound-o.’’
Crazy man michaelhe wanders and walks
And talks to the night and the day-o.
But his eyes they are sane and his speech it is clear
And he longs to be far away-o.
Michael he whistles the simplest of tunes
And asks of the wild woods their pardon.
For his true love is flown into every flower grown
And he must be keeper of the garden.