Text

THE BALLAD OF ST. ANNE'S REEL
4/4

[Verse 1]
       G                             C                  G
He was stranded in some tiny town on fair Prince Edward Island, 
 G                              D7
Waiting for a ship to come and find him
   C                  D                   G            C
A one-horse place, a friendly face, some coffee and a tiny trace
    G               D7             G
Of fiddling in the distance far behind him.

[Verse 2]
   G                                C            G
A dime across the counter, then, a shy hello, a brand new friend.
   G                                   D
A walk along the street in the wintry weather.
   C                D            G                       C
A yellow light, an open door, a welcome friend, there's room for more,
 G                     D7             G
Soon they're standing there inside together.

 G             D                                      C              G
He_said_I've heard that tune before somewhere, but_I can't remember when.
 G      D                                   C              Em      
Was it on some other friendly shore, did I hear it on the wind?
        G              D                    C                 G
Was it written on the sky above? I_think_I heard it from someone I love,
      C               G       D7          G
But_I_never heard it sound so sweet since then

[Verse 3]
         G                              C                  G
Now his feet begin to tap, a young boy says I'll take your hat.
      G                             D7                                     
He's caught up in the magic of her smile.
     C                 D                 G               C                                     
And leap, the heart inside him went, and off across the floor he sent
     G           D7            G                           
His clumsy body graceful as a child.

 G              D                                   C              G                                                                                                                               
He_said_there's magic in the fiddler's arm, there's magic in this town.
 G      D                                  C                 Em                                                           
There's magic in the dancers' feet and_the way they put them down.
   G            D           C                     G                                         
Smiling people everywhere, boots and ribbons_and locks of hair,
  C                    G         D7     G                                         
Laught'r_and old blue suits and Easter gowns.

[Verse 4]
         G                                   C            G                                                   
Now the sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's sitting there,
 G                                 D7
Someone's hat left hanging on the rack.
      C                 D                 G                  C
Some empty chairs, the wooden floor that feels the touch of shoes no more,
 G               D7             G                              
Waiting for the dancers to come back.

 G       D                              C              G                                                    
And the fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town.
 G      D                                          C               Em                                                                
The strings are broke and the bow is gone and the case is buttoned down.
     G          D                      C                    G                       
But often on December nights, when the air is cold and the wind is right,
 G         C           G        D7           G                                        
There's a melody comes passing through this town.