Within the fire

And out ALONG the sea

Crazy man Michael WENT walking

He met with a raven

With eyes black as coal

And shortly they GREW TO talking 



“your future, your future

I will tell UNTO you

Your future

You often have asked me

Your true love will die

By your own right hand

And crazy man Michael

Will cursed be” 



Michael he ranted

And Michael he raved

And he beat at the four winds

With his fists-o

He laughed and he cried

He shouted and he swore

For his mad mind

Entrapped him with a fist-hold 



“you speak with an evil

You speak with a hate

You speak for the devil

That haunts me

For is she not the fairest

In all the broad land? 

Your sorcerer's words

Are to taunt me” 



He took out his dagger

Of FIRE AND OF steel

And he struck down the raven

Through the heart-o

The bird fluttered long

And the sky it did spin

And this cold earth did

Wander ‘round startled 



Oh where is the raven

That I struck down dead

And here did lye

On the ground-o? 

I see my true love

With a wound so red

Where her lover's heart

It did pound-o 



Crazy man Michael

He wanders ALONE

And he talks TO

The night and the day-o

But his eyes they are sane

And his speech is plain

But he longs to be far away-o 



Michael he whistles

The simplest of tunes

As he asks of the wild WOODS

Their pardon

But his true love has flown

Into every flower grown

And he must be keeper

Of the garden