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The Bad Squire Lyrics by Jon Raven

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Oh, the merry brown hares came leaping
Over the crest of the hill
Where the clover and corn lay a-sleeping
Under the moonlight still
Leaping late and early
'Till under their bite and their tread
The Swedes and the wheat and the barley
Lay cankered and trampled and dead
Oh, a poacher's widow sat sighing
On the side of the white chalk bank
Where under the gloomy fir-woods
One spot in the ley throve rank
She watched a long tuft of clover
Where rabbit or hare never ran;
For its black sour haulm covered over
The blood of a murdered man
She thought of the dark plantation
The hares, and her husband's blood
And the voice of her indignation
Rose up to the throne of God
"Oh, there's blood on your new foreign shrubs, squire
There's blood on your pointer's feet
There's blood on the game you sell, squire
And there's blood on the game you eat
"You have sold the laboring-man, squire
Body and soul to shame
To pay for your seat in the House, squire
And to pay for the feed of your game
"You made him a poacher yourself, squire
When you'd give neither work nor meat
And your barley-fed hares robbed the garden
At our starving children's feet
"When packed in one reeking chamber
Man, maid, mother, and little ones lay
While the rain pattered in on the rotting bride-bed
And the walls let in the day
"When we lay in the burning fever
On the mud of the cold clay floor
'Till you parted us all for three months, squire
At the dreary workhouse door
"When to kennels and liveried varlets
You have cast your daughter's bread
Oh, and, worn out with liquor and harlots
Your heir at your feet lies dead
"When your youngest, the mealy-mouthed rector
Lets your soul rot asleep to the grave
You will find in your God the protector
Of the freeman you fancied your slave
"Oh, there's blood on your new foreign shrubs, squire
There's blood on your pointer's feet
There's blood on the game you sell, squire
And there's blood on the game you eat."
Credits
Jon Raven

Jon Raven

About “The Bad Squire” by Jon Raven

Read the complete lyrics to "The Bad Squire" by Jon Raven. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Folk.

"The Bad Squire" is performed by Jon Raven. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Bad Squire", explore more songs by Jon Raven using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Bad Squire" is credited to Jon Raven. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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