Discovered!!! Shah Rukh and Aamir in a movie together!!

A few days back, my sister and I were discussing the famed “Khans” of Bollywood, when I casually observed that all Khans – Shah Rukh, Salman, Aamir and Saif – had acted opposite each other, in at least one movie. And we sat down to List the movies.

Salman Khan – Shah Rukh Khan:

1. Karan Arjun
2. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
3. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam
4. Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega (Salman movie, which has Shah Rukh cameo as Rani Mukherjee’s real fiancé)
5. Om Shanti Om (Shah Rukh movie, which has Salman's cameo as himself)

Salman Khan – Saif Khan:

1. Hum Saath Saath Hain
2. Biwi no. 1 (Salman movie, which has Saif's cameo as Deepak, Sushmita Sen’s ex-boy friend)
3. Om Shanti Om (Shah Rukh movie, which cameos by both)

Saif Ali Khan – Shah Rukh Khan:

1. Kal Ho Na Ho
2. Om Shanti Om (Shah Rukh movie, which has Saif's cameo as himself)

Saif Ali Khan – Aamir Khan:

1. Parampara
2. Dil Chahta Hai

Salman Khan – Aamir Khan:

1. Andaz Apna Apna

It seemed like Shah Rukh and Aamir have never acted in a movie together. Their off-screen chemistry, famed for their on-going feud, is much more publicized, though the actual cause of this feud is not known. They allegedly patched things up last year.

But, we were fooling around the net yesterday, when we found they have indeed acted in a movie together - Pehla Nasha, a 1993 Deepak Tijori starrer and an uncredited remake of Brian De Palma’s Body Double, and though they don’t have full-fledged roles, it’s the first and the only movie to actually boost having Aamir and Shah Rukh in the same frame.

Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan appeared Together in the film Pehla Nasha in 1993.

The movie also has a cameo by Saif Ali Khan, making it the first movie to have 3 of the 4 Khans (Shah Rukh, Aamir and Saif minus Salman), together. The second is Om Shanti Om (2007), which also has 3 Khans (Shah Rukh, Saif and Salman minus Aamir).

This article is co-authoured by my sister, Konica, who is an inspiration and well... always has my back. Thanks, Kay!

Old Picture of Kay (my inspiration), My Dad (my 1st fan) and Me

Show Me Love (2008)

Show Me Love (2008), the English version of Swedish “Fucking Åmål”, is a poignant tale of Agnes, a social misfit, high school outcast, and Elin, the object of Agnes’ affection, in the town of Amal.

Agnes (Rebecka Liljeberg) and Elin Olssen (Alexandra Dahlström)

The town of Åmål, Sweden, is a small insignificant town where nothing ever happens, where the latest trends are out of date when they get there. Agnes (Rebecka Liljeberg) is a shy, social misfit, in the town high school. Her only best friend is wheel-chair bound Viktoria (Josefine Nyberg), who only hangs out with her because no-one wants to be stuck with a cripple. She is unpopular, but not unknown. The popular students of the school specifically seek her out and torment her, because she is rumoured to be a lesbian – a rumour perpetuated by them, themselves.

The popular Elin Olssen (Alexandra Dahlström), good-looking girl with a soft heart and a penchant for making chocolate milk, much to chagrin of her “dieting” sister who’s forced to drink it, has a certain "reputation" among boys, despite the fact that she has never actually done “it”. She is also the main object of affection of Johann (Mathias Rust), a popular boy, and Agnes. Living with a single, working mother and a popular sister, Jessica (Erica Carlson) who prefers boys and parties to school and studies, Elin is bored with life.

It all changes on the day of Agnes’ birthday, when Elin and her sister Jessica, decide to attend Agnes’ party as a prank, after having torn up all her invitations in school. That night, only other guest is Viktoria, who after a fight with Agnes leaves, early. Agnes is sad, but sees light when Elin arrives. Elin confesses her “love” and kisses Agnes, then breaks it, calls her a “queer”, and leaves, leaving a very torn-up Agnes behind. Depressed Agnes tries to look for ways to kill herself, but is timely interrupted by her father, who gets chocolate milk for her and we learn that Agnes loves to drink chocolate milk. Meanwhile, at another party Elin, still guilty over hurting Agnes and reeling back from the kiss, gets a little too drunk and throws up in the bathroom, where she is supported by Johann who tries to hit on her. This only increases her guilt and she rushes to Agnes’ house.

By now, Agnes, left completely alone for the night, has finally managed to cut one of her wrists and is in process of cutting another when she yet again interrupted, this time by Elin, who wants to talk. They spend a girls’ night out talking, when Elin mentions that she wants to get out and Agnes immediately agrees to try to hitch a ride, to the nearest city. But the driver of a car sees them making out in the back-seat and promptly kicks them out. Agnes goes home and Elin goes back to the party, where she left her coat.

The next day, Agnes tries to talk to Elin but is blown off by her because she does not want to accept her feelings, or her homosexuality. Elin then formally starts dating Johann, even consummating the relationship leaving Agnes heart-broken, yet again. When Elin finds that Johann, like her sister Jessica and her boyfriend Markus, have no interest in leaving the town or doing anything other than party and have a good time, she starts releasing her feelings for Agnes. Earlier, where Agnes masturbated to Elin’s photo in the yearbook, now she starts doing the same with Agnes’ picture.

Only this time Agnes has decided to get over her and move on – she has no desire to go down the same path again. But Elin decides to take the matters into her own hands and almost drags and locks Agnes in the Girls’ Toilet to get her to listen. She apologizes, and asks Agnes to forgive her. Agnes finally relents, and even agrees to wait until she is ready to come out. Their only problem: it is lunch break and by now most of the girls gave gathered around the bathroom, only to find it’s locked. When her friend and another popular girl, calls out and Elin answers, she understands that it’s Elin in the toilet and since she refuses to come out or open the door, she is “with” someone. By now, the entire school has gathered outside and the headmaster is called to order her to open the door. On the inside, Agnes is getting impatient, (they are trapped in a toilet, for God’s sake!) and tells Elin to come out (mainly because they have no other choice) and agrees to stand by her. Elin takes a deep breath and opens the door.

The "Coming Out"

Up to this scene, the background score has a sad, melancholy tune. As she opens the door however, the music turns upbeat and out comes Elin with “Ta Da!” The students are shocked, when they see Agnes behind her. Elin comes out, figuratively and literally, and takes Agnes’ hand and they walk out, hand-in-hand, with the whole school staring behind them. I was smiling like an idiot – not laughing, mind you – smiling! It was probably the second-best ever “coming out” scene I’ve ever seen, the first would in “Make the Yuletide GAY!” (More on that Later!)

The final scene shows them in Elin’s house where Elin makes chocolate milk for both of them.

The main drawback I had while watching the movie was the print I saw was in Swedish with No Subtitles. It generally isn’t a problem for me, I do watch silent movies and other Indian language movies on cable, I get by with their expressions and acting, and with a fiction writer’s mind (no rolling eyes!) and I deduce the rest. So though I had no idea what was being said, I knew what was going on. It’s a beautiful coming of age, coming-out movie.




I have changed the title of this post, from it's original Fucking Amal because most of the hits this post got were Google searches for "fucking". This movie is a coming-of-age drama of two girls and the "fucking" in then original Swedish title has got nothing to with fucking (as in having sex), but refers to the other usage, as in the fucking ridiculous or fucking idiot.

Shelter (2007) : A Wonderful Love Story!!

A few days ago, I watched a WONDERFUL movie – Shelter! It’s about a guy, Zack (played beautifully by Trevor Wright), who falls in love with his best friend, Gabe’s (Ross Thomas) elder brother, Shaun (brilliant performance by Brad Rowe).

Zack (Trevor Wright) and Shaun (Brad Rowe) in "Shelter"

Zack is high-school dropout “street” artist who draws nameless murals around the town when he is not surfing, working at the diner or babysitting his nephew Cody, his sister Jeanne’s son. He is one of “those” guys, the kind that put others’ happiness before his own. The story begins when Shaun, a “fiction” writer, comes back to town clear a case of Writer’s Block. It is apparent, right from Shaun’s entry on screen, that Zack is totally crazy about him – the way he smiles coyly when he first finds Shaun in Gabe’s house, the way he calls him “Master” and himself “his Student”, the way he bestows undivided attention on Shaun – which even becomes apparent to Tori, his on-off girlfriend, the way he says he read Shaun novel “just as it came out” even quoting from it. Shaun, on the other hand it seems, does like him, but does not love him, or at least is trying hard to not express it – the only thing which belies his feelings is the way he touches his ear when Zack tells him, he read his book and he says, “I never knew, you knew about me.”

The story changes its tact when, after a drunken night, Shaun kisses Zack, and Zack starts looking at the possibility of actually falling in love with Shaun – it’s not a childhood fantasy anymore – trying to come to terms with his new-found sexuality. Shaun, on other hand, completely accepts his feelings, realizing that Zack actually reciprocates the love he has felt, since they were kids. But when he finds that Zack is “not ready” yet, he respectfully backs off, only to have Zack come back in his life.

Their first night together is marked by a fiery passion; the long dormant feelings and long hidden desires that suddenly erupt in a tumultuous volcano of endless emotions. But that isn’t the end of it, as is noticeable by the look on Shaun’s face, when he wakes up next to Zack, the next morning. Then there is the way, Zack blushes and smiles in his car on the way home after their night together. They are clearly in love.

Jeanne, then, decides to dump Cody onto Zack, as she leaves for the weekend with her boyfriend Alan, leaving Zack and Shaun to take care of him. Shaun is not only sport about it – he actually likes having Cody around. Inviting and spoiling Cody on their date is just the beginning, as Shaun plays a “doting father” to Cody the entire weekend. He is no different than all the men, pursuing a single mother, that the movie industry has given us – be it John Travolta in “Look Who’s Talking!” or Tom Cruise in “Jerry Maguire”. Only in this case, it’s not the mother, but an uncle – a minor difference, apparently.

When Gabe returns home unexpectedly, the hidden relationship takes a toll on Zack, not in the least helped by the fact that Jeanne is constantly nagging him to break it off, insisting it is not a good upbringing for Cody. Apparently, her moving around and acting like a total slut is “a good upbringing”, but Zack finding love with one another is not, only because it is man! I couldn’t help but feel, wanting to slap her hard – I can “slap”, believe me – just to get her to see the light. But Zack, being too good a guy that he is, breaks it off with Shaun, crushing him.

In the meantime, Zack decides that Shaun may be right – he can never escape his existence until he actually makes a stand and finally decides to re-apply to Cal-Arts, only to find his portfolio missing. At first, I thought it was Jeanne who had stolen it, because she couldn’t handle Zack leaving and her being stuck with Cody, apparently from the way she says, “No, I haven’t seen it”, then changing the topic to tell him about a new job, “because they could use the money”. It seems that Zack can never escape, especially when Jeanne decides to move to Oregon leaving Cody behind, with him. All is lost, until Zack receives a call from Cal-Arts, stating they are considering his application for re-admission, impressed by the portfolio he sent from an Ocean Beach address – Shaun’s address. But Shaun has finally decided to stop pursuing and move on – only this time, Zack is not giving up without a fight. Zack manages to convince him that he is ready – to move in and start a new life, together – having fully come to terms with not only his sexuality, but also his love.

They go back home, where Zack gives Jeanne a choice –either she can stay take care of her son, or she can go away and let Cody live with them. Jeanne chooses later, and they move together to L.A. with Cody in tow, where Zack returns to school. The end montage, intervowen with the wonderful rendition of “Goin’ Home” by Bill Ferguson, depicts a day on the beach in their new life – the three look like a perfectly happy family.

At The Beach

It is a beautiful love story, and the fact that both the leads are ‘Straight’ in real life re-enforces the point. But the chemistry between the two is un-believable! Then, there is the fact that the Gays are not “portrayed” as “Gays” usually shown in the movies – they are just two people who fall in love. The circumstances surrounding their love are also not new or unique – “Friends” had “Ross and Rachel” fall in love in these very circumstances – a childhood crush that manifested into adult love. Then there is also the relation between Cody and Shaun, a fatherly relationship, and Zack’s indirect referral as a single parent, as in the first scene where Zack explains to Cody that, he is his uncle, while Cody insists that he is his father – yet another commonplace Hollywood plotline. But the interweaving of these two plotlines, gives an end result of a beautiful thing that touches not the heart, but the very soul.

Another thing I liked about it, was the fact that the only two people who actually supported Zack, in his relation were the very people he’d felt he betrayed – Tori, his girlfriend and Gabe, Shaun’s younger brother, both of whom are also his best friends. Gabe tells him he doesn’t care, if Zack is in relation with his brother – he, actually, tries to clear the air by asking him to describe Shaun’s prowess in bed, prompting Zack to kick him out. But he takes it lightly, understanding that emotions Zack is going through are not simple, insisting “they will always be brothers”. Tori, on the other hand, asks him to give the relationship a chance, because Shaun is a good guy, and “they don’t belong to people forever”, but “it’s worth it”, while it lasts.

The soundtrack is beautiful – all of ‘Shane Mack’ songs are awesome, though I have a special mention for his “Lie to Me”, the song I have become addicted to. I listen to it whenever I am at home, even when I am sleeping, much to chagrin of my roomie – my sister – since I have a strict no-headphones policy.

According to the official Shelter website, http://www.heretv.com/sheltermovie/the Writer and Director, Jonah Markowitz, in an interview, stated he wanted to focus not on their being Gay, but on the relationship itself – a simple romance – beginning a new relationship, while battling the possibility that it may not work out after all, the responsibilities that come with them and the feeling of bliss when lying next to a loved one, as the world seems to fade away and life is beautiful again.

"Someone Up There" by Rick Crom/ Michael Schiffman

This song "Some Up There", from the movie 'A Big Gay Musical', is written by Rick Crom, sung beautifully by Micheal Schiffman. And though it was supposedly written by a man Charles (Mike), for his crush Paul (Daniel Robinson), it has a very universal appeal to it. I loved the song, wanted to sing it, but found out that there were no lyrics available on the net, so I actually took pains to write them down.

I am posting them here, in case some one wants the lyrics, like to serenade their crush. I am also adding the video, in case anyone actually wants to hear it. It's a very beautiful.

I never believed in fate, before

But I'm seeing you 'most, everyday:

You've been hauting my mind, 

Since I saw you, in the light,

And you took my breath away.

There are forces at work, 

That we don't understand,

But they are bringing us closer, 

As if it were planned.

If Someone Up There, wants us to be together

Then Who are we, to Disagree

If Someone Wiser knows, w'd be good together

It's not our place to ask why,

And I think we should give it a try...

If Providence deems we fall in Love,

Then there's nothing we can do...

And I cannot deny, What I'm feeling deep inside,

And I think you feel it, too...

So, it's hopeless to fight, 

There's no place to retreat,

So give in to your heart, For surrender sweet

If Someone Up There, wants us to be together

Then Who are we to Disagree

If Someone Wiser knows, we'd be good together

It's not our place to ask why,

And I think we should give it a try...

I think we should give it a try...

I think we should give it a try........

Jimmy’s Lullaby: “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright” Raising Hope Pilot

Last Week, I saw the Pilot of ‘Raising Hope’ TV series. The lullaby that Virginia (Martha Plimpton) sang for Hope (then "Princess Beyonce") was amazing. But surprisingly, it is not included in the soundtracks… actually not even mentioned anywhere. So I did some research but couldn’t find it anywhere online… So ultimately, I had brilliant “Bulb” idea and I got the episode on DVD. I am trying to find the Video but, till then, I am uploading the lyrics.

To prevent any confusion with any other “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”, I have renamed the song “Jimmy’s Lullaby”, since teenage Virginia used to sing this song for her infant son, Jimmy, with a sleepy Burt in the background with his guitar playing the chords.

I hope anyone who’s searching for it, finds what they are looking for:

“People smile… 

Tell me, I’m the Lucky one,

[To Jimmy: This used to work with you]

We’d just begun… I think I’m gonna have a son…

[To Jimmy: Dim the lights]

It will be like he and me, were free … as a Dove,

And seemed to love… the Sun is gonna shine above…

And even though, we ain’t got money,

I’m so in love with you, honey.

Everything will bring, a chain… of love......

And in the morning when I rise,

Bring a tear of Joy to my eyes,

And tell me –

Everything…. Is Gonna Be Alright.

Hmmm… um… hmmm…”


It is actually the first two stanzas of "Danny's Song" by Ann Murray as contributed by the "Anonymous" comment.

Disney Princesses: Lost in Advertising

“Dreams Do Come True and True Love can Come to You”, Fairy Godmother told Princess Fiona.

Faith has always been a great way to cope with trouble in our lives – we all wish for miracles. Fairy Tales and Legends, since the ancient times, have been not only a source of entertainment and morals but also of tests of faith in the higher power, when we feel powerless to face our demons. Disney has been converting these fairy tales into classic love stories, have that have been a source of hope for girls across generations, all over the world – for no matter who we are, where were and how old we are, we always want that one true love. Ok, we may not be able to live happily ever after, and unlike them we have to work towards building the relationship and making it last, but I believe the end result is worth it.

The first Disney princess to grace the silver screen was Snow White, in 1932, with her Seven Little Dwarfs. Thereafter, the other princesses like Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950), Ariel (Little Mermaid, 1989), Jasmine (Aladdin, 1991), Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1992) not only graced the Silver Screen with their presence, but they portrayed the inner beings of many girls. Famously, marketed as such, these princesses continue to rule hearts and minds of little girls even today. But apart from these five princesses there are many others, who though they came on the screen, but never actually attained the status of being a True Disney Princess.

Here’s to those seldom recognized and totally unappreciated Disney Princesses, who lost PR battles:

1.       Megara (Hercules, 1997):

Hercules and Meg

Megara, aka Meg was the daughter of King Creon of Thebes. She helped Hercules to complete his 12 tasks, but later turned out be Hades’ spy. When Hades found out that she actually loved him, he dragged her to hell but Hercules tried to give up his life to save her. This earned him, his place on the Olympus, but he decided to forgo it and live with her on Earth as a Mortal.

2.      Kiara (Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride, 1998):

Kiara and Kovu

Kiara, was the Daughter of the new Lion King Simba and his wife Nala. Raised in a very protective environment by her father, and uncles Timon and Pumbaa, she ran away and fell in love with Scar’s son Kovu.

3.      Melody (Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, 2000):

Melody with her Mother Ariel

The only princess without a prince, Melody was the daughter of Ariel, now human, and her husband Prince Eric. She was also the grand-daughter of the King Tristan of the Sea. Half-mermaid Melody was unaware of her true heritage, until she was lured back into the Sea by Ursula’s with brother.

4. Princess “Kida” Kidagakashi (Atlantis: The Lost Empire, 2001):

Kida and Milo

Princess Kida, was the daughter of the chief of Atlantis and his wife, the high priestess. Destined, to be a high priestess after her mother, Kida helped the scientist Milo and his crew when they came searching for Atlantis, but after finding that true source of their power – which the foreigners wanted to harvest – was her mother, she fought for her motherland. She, later, married Milo and they both live in Atlantis, happily ever after.

5. Ting-Ting, Mei, Su (Mulan II, 2004):

Sue, Ting-Ting and Mei

The three princesses from the Middle-Kingdom, China were engaged to be married to the three princes of Qui-Gong, to combine their kingdoms. Enroute marriage, they fell in love with their bodyguards – Ling, Yao and Chien Po, resp. and encouraged by Mulan, the female hero of China, to “Follow their Hearts” eloped with them.

6.     Nancy Tremaine, Enchanted (2007):

Nancy and Prince Edward in New York

Not your regular Disney Princess, Nancy Tremaine was a modern-day high powered working woman dating Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a lawyer. When Giselle, the real princess-to-be of fairy-tale kingdom Andalesia was banished by the evil Queen to New York and fell in love with Robert; 

Nancy and Prince Edward in Andalesia

Nancy met Prince Edward, Giselle’s betrothed and was smitten. In classic Disney scenario, she got married to him, in a huge ceremony back in Andalesia, and lives happily ever after. She’s the perfect answer to all the modern-day dreamers who wish for their one true love.

7.    Princess Tiana (Princess and the Frog, 2009):

Tiana and Frog Prince Naveen

The first African-American Disney Princess, Tiana, a waitress, was turned into a frog when she kissed the cursed Prince Naveen who mistook her to be a real princess. Undertaking a perilous journey to reverse the cure, she fell in love with the cursed prince and lives happily ever after.

8.    Charlotte LaBouff (Princess and the Frog, 2009):

Charlotte LaBouff

Raised in absolute luxury by an adoring father, Charlotte LaBouff is yet another example of a good-hearted Malibu Barbie. A real princess, through a long dormant bloodline, she was one the frog-prince was supposed to kiss to break the curse. Even though, she was engaged to the Prince, she sacrificed her love when she realised that he and her best-friend Tiana were actually in love. She is still single and looking for her own Prince Charming.

9.    Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010):

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

The newest addition to the Disney Princesses, Rapunzel is too new to be officially called as the Disney Princess, though her popularity is rising day by day. Raised alone in a tower by a kindly mother, who gave her everything except to go out into the world, she had hair that glowed or heeled anyone if she sang to them. When, a thief Flynn Rider accidently stumbled upon her tower, she blackmailed him into taking her on a journey and fell in with him. They are dating.

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes

This is my Most Favourite poem. The story of a doomed love between a highwayman (a highway robber) and Bess, the inn-keeper's beautiful daughter, how they are killed and how they will meet in Death, if not in Life.

"The wind was a torrent of darkness upon the gusty trees, 

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, 
The road was a ribbon of moonlight looping the purple moor, 
And the highwayman came riding-- 
Riding--riding-- 
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door. 

He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, and a bunch of lace at his chin; 
He'd a coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of fine doe-skin. 
They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to his thigh! 
And he rode with a jeweled twinkle-- 
His rapier hilt a-twinkle-- 
His pistol butts a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky. 

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, 
He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred, 
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there 
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter-- 
Bess, the landlord's daughter-- 
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair. 

Dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked 
Where Tim, the ostler listened--his face was white and peaked-- 
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay, 
But he loved the landlord's daughter-- 
The landlord's black-eyed daughter; 
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say: 

"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart; I'm after a prize tonight, 
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light. 
Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, 
Then look for me by moonlight, 
Watch for me by moonlight, 
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way." 

He stood upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand, 
But she loosened her hair in the casement! His face burnt like a brand 
As the sweet black waves of perfume came tumbling o'er his breast, 
Then he kissed its waves in the moonlight 
(O sweet black waves in the moonlight!), 
And he tugged at his reins in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west. 

He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon. 
And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon, 
When the road was a gypsy's ribbon over the purple moor, 
The redcoat troops came marching-- 
Marching--marching-- 
King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door. 

They said no word to the landlord; they drank his ale instead, 
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed. 
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets by their side; 
There was Death at every window, 
And Hell at one dark window, 
For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride. 

They had bound her up at attention, with many a sniggering jest! 
They had tied a rifle beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast! 
"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say, 
"Look for me by moonlight, 
Watch for me by moonlight, 
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way." 

She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good! 
She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood! 
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years, 
Till, on the stroke of midnight, 
Cold on the stroke of midnight, 
The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers! 

The tip of one finger touched it, she strove no more for the rest; 
Up, she stood up at attention, with the barrel beneath her breast. 
She would not risk their hearing, she would not strive again, 
For the road lay bare in the moonlight, 
Blank and bare in the moonlight, 
And the blood in her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love's refrain. 

Tlot tlot, tlot tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear; 
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear? 
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, 
The highwayman came riding-- 
Riding--riding-- 
The redcoats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still. 

Tlot tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot tlot, in the echoing night! 
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light! 
Her eyes grew wide for a moment, she drew one last deep breath, 
Then her finger moved in the moonlight-- 
Her musket shattered the moonlight-- 
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him--with her death. 

He turned, he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood 
Bowed, with her head o'er the casement, drenched in her own red blood! 
Not till the dawn did he hear it, and his face grew grey to hear 
How Bess, the landlord's daughter, 
The landlord's black-eyed daughter, 
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there. 

Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky, 
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high! 
Blood-red were his spurs in the golden noon, wine-red was his velvet coat 
When they shot him down in the highway, 
Down like a dog in the highway, 
And he lay in his blood in the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat. 

And still on a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees, 
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, 
When the road is a gypsy's ribbon looping the purple moor, 
The highwayman comes riding-- 
Riding--riding-- 
The highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door. 

Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred,
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter--
Bess, the landlord's daughter--
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair."