Come all ye lads and la**es near A story I will tell to you About a cold damp night like this When shelter I was seeking A traveler pa**ing through The barkeep said to guard my coin To stay away from this tinker But that just brought me near to him For naught had I worth taking A traveler pa**ing through Well he bought me gla** of darkened stout To thank me for my company And he dropped a penny in the gla** For the luck that it would bring to me A traveler pa**ing through The poor have but their pennies left The king his saxon shilling The king would never part with his Though I part with lime most willing To a traveler pa**ing through Chorus: This coin's been haunted by the sidhe It shall bring you joy or bring you grief Depending on the works you do
What once was mine now belongs to you To a traveler pa**ing through And we pa**ed the night most forcefully I sang my songs and his to me And we talked of life's brief song to sing Of visions we'd forsaken As travelers pa**ing through And the barkeep said it's time with scorn Your man here will be your undoing They will lock you up as sure as you are born If they hear the songs you're singing A traveler pa**ing through Well they can lock me up as best they can Yet songs can never know those chains The song is sacred as the wind We are just the harp that's singing A traveler pa**ing through And later in a highland pub With friends around me singing I chanced to glance into my gla** At another penny shining A traveler pa**ing through