When I Was On Horseback

Steeleye Span

When I was on horseback

By Marcel Veltman

I am surprised to see nothing of this British Folk band on UG. In their days they were

mentioned next to Fairport Convention as the other band which dared to bring electrical

instruments into traditional folk. In fact, it was ex-Fairport member Ashley Hutchings

who was among the founding fathers. Lead singer Maddy Prior was considered by some to be

better then Sandy Denny. She could certaintainly raise more goose-flesh. Somewhere around

1975, with 'All around my Hat', they even brought a hitsingle up in the charts. Such a

feat was never accomplished by Fairport.

Not intended to play along with the original record, but to allow the singer/guitarplayer

to do the song before his or her own audience. The chords in the first verse were those I

found right away, the second verse contains those I found while experimenting a bit. You

can do it either way, or change from one to the other through the song.

Am G

When I was on horseback, wasn't I pretty

Am C Am

When I was on horseback, wasn't I gay

C

Wasn't I pretty when I entered Cork city

G Am

And met with my downfall on the fourteenth of may

Am G

Six jolly soldiers to carry my coffin

Am C Am

Six jolly soldiers to march by my side

C Am

It's six jolly soldiers take a bunch of red roses

C G Em Am

And for to smell them as we go along

Beat the drum slowly and play the pipes only

Playing the deadmarch as we go along

And bring me to Tipperary and lay me down easy

I am a young soldier that've never done wrong

Instrumental break

Repeat first verse