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
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 learnt the feel of frozen steel and fear within my breasts
But the lesson I'll remember till
they lay me to my rest keeps returning
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
When the dice 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
So I rode out to that place again as hard as I could ride But I found
her by the trail along the lonely mountainside In the hands of
those brave friends of mine She suffered and she died many years ago
But 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