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Tom Faggus: Highwayman (by Simon Barron and Rosalind Brady) Good day to you fair ladies; sirs to you the same I am the famous highwayman Tom Faggus is my name Consign to me your sovereigns they do me so delight: And here is a brace of pistols for to convince you of my right My Kingdom is the highway that winds across the heath I am a robber gentleman a charmer and a thief In Devonshire at North Molton I was born and raised As the village blacksmith I flourished in my trade But jealousy was pit against me causing me to rove And now I ply my trade on this Royal Forrest road My Kingdom is the highway that winds across the heath I am a robber gentleman a charmer and a thief Now mark this roan I ride on: Winnie is her name And many’s the time that but for her I’d be beneath the clay Her hooves have kicked the guns away and broken down the doors Never a man more blessed in choice than when I chose this horse My Kingdom is the highway that winds across the heath I am a robber gentleman a charmer and a thief It’s up on the heath at Exmoor I live by wit and nerve And never a shilling will I take from those that don’t deserve I’ll rob the lord of all his gold but never take his life Whistle up my strawberry roan and ride into the night My Kingdom is the highway that winds across the heath I am a robber gentleman a charmer and a thief They set up a gang to take me by force at Exford Bridge I came upon them in haste all through the morning mist Pray let me join you in this deed I quickly said to them They never once suspected me to be the very man 'Now look to your guns', I told them 'for the powder’s surely damp; Fire them off and reload them to be confident' And after each had fired his piece I stood and brandished mine 'Deliver up your gold to me Tom Faggus is my name!' My Kingdom is the highway that winds across the heath I am a robber gentleman a charmer and a thief But then it fell out one day when I came to Barnum Bridge And chasing up behind me there were twenty volunteers And as I flew across that span thinking to be free Twenty more came up the road that lay in front of me. I whispered into Winnie's ear and pat her on the neck I turned her from the enemy to the parapet Then as I fired my flintlock out we jumped over the edge... They saw Tom Faggus fly away from the middle of Barnum Bridge My Kingdom is the highway that winds across the heath I am a robber gentleman a charmer and a thief