Richard Dawson - Joe the Quilt-Maker lyrics

[Verse 1] A lonely cottage on the mound A century's work of [?] Stood trembling and quiet Until it was acquired By canny Joe the quilt-maker He fenced in a patch of land As from the stroke of a magic wand A garden Sprung forth From the hand of Joe the Quilt Maker [Verse 2] His [?] his flowerbeds neat Glad were his neighbours all to meet And chew the fat And swallow the coffee Of kindly Joe the quilt-maker Of each he had some good to say Some friendly token to display And seldom few people Could cheer a Winter's day Like gregarious Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 3] Be loved by all even the Great [?] And at the dinner table Sometimes they set a plate For respected Joe the quilt-maker His quilt with country fame were crowned Superbly sewn and dotted around With pretty little figures And [?] in flight Most ingenious Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 4] His wife was sick bedridden and old To ease the pain he spent he sold Oh there was never bought Not for silver or for gold Such love as Joe the quilt-maker From dawn to dusk he tenderly nursed The poor old hag grew worse and worse And soon She was lifted to a hearse By heartbroken Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 5] [?] All hope had flown without a trace The home they'd made Soon become a cage For enfeebled Joe the quilt-maker But there were friend who cheered his days Both coin and food they strove to raise And there was always some kind soul Dropping in to say Afternoon to Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 6] The days and months and years rolled by The scales were lifted from his eyes The ground beneath his feet and the Colour in his cheeks Were restored to Joe the quilt-maker Not seeing past the end of his nose Back to the needle he nimbly goed In several of the taverns We raised a cup of ale To courageous Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 7] Often in his solitary [?] Through spectacles and godly verse A mirror made of paper Would stare at the reflection Of pious Joe the quilt-maker And first he Autumn of his days In quiet contemplation [?] Except when he would welcome A wandering stranger Most hospital Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 8] From which dark source it cannot be said Somehow the bogus rumour spread That never in Hexham There'd been a richer man Than impoverished Joe the quilt-maker Strolling round the market square A smiling pilgrim unaware The devil's in the doorway Of the old [?] hall With his eyes fixed on the doomed quilt-maker [Verse 9] I found a pair of clogs in the lane Some drops of blood where he had lain And following the breadcrumbs I came upon the dreadful Remains of Joe the quilt-maker It must have been a number of days The fat black flies were on his face I fainted in a flowerbed And threw up on the bright yellow Poppies of Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 10] Judging from the wounds on his hands It's fair to a**ume a most valiant stand Was met by his a**ailants And fought out to the very last breath Of Joe the quilt-maker It's thought they numbered two or three The evidence was plain to see A [?] And a garden hose sticky with the Grey hair of Joe the quilt-maker [Verse 11] Despite a hundred Guinea reward The culprits have remained uncaught And nobody is looking Each other in the eyes At the funeral of Joe the quilt-maker And now that night is drawing in I pull the quilt up to my chin And listen to the trees outside Creaking in the wind A song for Joe the quilt-maker