[Verse 1] I left the road above Redford, With the King's men at my back, Horse blown hard beneath me, And the night as cold as black. I crossed the frozen heather Where the mountain waters run, No lantern in the valley, No promise of the sun. [Verse 2] Then I saw her in the moonlight, Standing silver in the stream, Auburn hair across her shoulders Like a fire inside a dream. Pale skin beneath the winter stars, Green eyes watching through the cold, Strong brows and a knowing smile That made the night feel old. [Pre-Chorus] She said, "Put away your pistol, They will never find you here." And somewhere down behind me I could hear the horses near. [Chorus] Under the amethyst moon, She called me out of the night. Under the amethyst moon, She hid me away from their sight. I should have feared the mountain, I should have turned and gone, But something in her eyes Said I had known her all along. [Verse 3] She wrapped herself in linen, Then a cloak of forest green, And led me through the blackthorn To a house I'd never seen. No track led to the doorway, No smoke rose from the stone, Yet candles burned behind the glass As though the house had known. There were flowers there in winter, There was music with no hand, And names carved into ancient wood No Christian man could understand. [Pre-Chorus] She poured the wine like midnight, Said, "You've ridden far enough." Then smiled as if she knew Exactly what I'd come here for. [Chorus] Under the amethyst moon, She drew me out of the cold. Under the amethyst moon, She spoke of kingdoms older than gold. No priest had ever named her, No book had got it right, She said, "My blood was here Before your people learned to write." [Bridge - arrangement begins to build] She said, "We were here before the bell, Before the cross, Before the crown. Before your kings divided Every acre of this ground. They call us ghosts, They call us gods, They call us what they fear. But I am of the old ones, And the old ones are still here." [Verse 4] Then she touched me like a promise, And the room dissolved in flame, Not burning, but a golden light That seemed to know my name. I woke beside her near the dawn, Her head against my chest, And outside in the mountain snow No hoofmark faced the west. She said, "I can hide you from their soldiers. I can turn their eyes away. I can make the road forget you. I can keep the dogs at bay." "But nothing given freely Binds the mortal to the fay. Bring me back what has been stolen, And my hand will clear your way." [Rock Section] [Chorus] Bring back the amethyst stone, Bring back what once was mine. Taken from the mountain By an English gentleman. He wears it like a trophy, Set in silver, dark and bright. Bring me back the amethyst, And I will guard your life. [Verse 5] I asked her why she needed me, Why she could not take her own. She looked beyond the window To the first grey light of dawn. "There are doors that I may open, There are doors I cannot cross. There are debts that men must answer, There are things even we have lost." Then she placed her hand upon me, And a cold ran through my veins. Far below us in the valley I could hear the King's men call my name. [Final Chorus] Under the amethyst moon, I made a bargain in the night. Under the amethyst moon, For one lost stone and my life. An Englishman is wearing Something older than his name, And somewhere in the mountains She is waiting once again. Under the amethyst moon, The old world opened wide. Was she lover, witch or goddess? I never could decide. But the soldiers passed beside me, Looking straight into my eyes, And not one man among them Saw me standing by the roadside. [Outro] Auburn hair. Green eyes. Winter water. Cold sunrise. One stone stolen. One debt due. And a road That leads me back to you.
