You may have seen Wat Tyler
When they threw him down below
And the peasant men, all twenty thousand of them
Were undone then in one blow
(Chorus)
And you may have seen them holler
And you may have seen them run
On that fateful day, as the old books say
That the good and the mighty won
Up rode young King Richard
With a look so sly and cold
–God is mustering his clouds on our behalf
To strike at your children yet unborn
(Chorus)
And you will remain in bondage
Even harsher than before
You wretches of men throughout the land
Who will seek equality with your lords
Hear then brave Wat Tyler
And the preacher mad John Ball
–It is from our labour
That they have the wherewithal
(Chorus)
To support their pomp and splendor
While we get nothing from them at all
But our meal of rye and water
And the refuse of the straw
If someone tries to tame you
And to make of you their slave
And if you have no means to get the better of them
Then at least try to misbehave
(Chrous)
And you may have seen them holler
And you may have seen them run
On that fateful day, as the old books say
That the good and the mighty won
And you may have seen them holler
And you may have seen them run
On that fateful day, as the old books say
That the good and the mighty won