The smoke was slowly rising as the light began to fade
There were fires on the skyline from some distant border raid
And I was riding out at seventeen to join my first brigade
Many years ago
And I chanced upon a farmhouse where the
woman took me in She gave me food and wine,
she gave me shelter from the wind She delayed me from
my regiment and service of my king many years ago
She said, Soldier,
before I lose you to the fight Oh my soldier,
I'll make a man of you tonight
She took me over in the fading fire glow On
that wild and misty night she was my woman
And when I rose next morning I was gone before she stood
I tore myself away from there and left without a word
The sound of distant infantry was the
only thing I heard on that morning
And in that day I aged ten years and died a thousand deaths
I learned the feel of frozen steel and fear within my breast
But the lesson I'll remember till they lay me to my rest
Keeps returning
She said, Soldier,
before I lose you to the fight Oh my soldier,
I'll make a man of you tonight She took me over in the fading
fire glow On that wild and misty night she was my woman
And when the days of war were thrown and victory was won
My drunken young compatriots went out to have their fun
And there was no single house they did
not burn or overrun on that evening
And I rode out to that place again as hard as I could ride
But I found her by the tree along the lonely mountainside
In the hands of those brave friends of mine
She suffered and she died many years ago
Soldier,
before I lose you to the fight She said,
Soldier,
I'll make a man of you tonight
She took me over in the fading fire glow On
that wild and misty night she was my woman