Words and music by Ian Anderson, 1978
Transcribed by Vaas:  [email protected]

Play with capo on 1st fret!

C#m    A      B      G#m         B       C#m        A       G#m       A          B

F#m          D                      E                         A
Iron-clad feather-feet pounding the dust
           D          E                          A
An October's day, towards evening
F#m                            D                         E                   A
Sweat embossed veins standing proud to the plough
D                 E                  A
Salt on a deep chest seasoning
F#m             D                  E                  A
Last of the line at an honest day's toil
 D                   E               A
Turning the deep sod under
F#m                  D           E                A
Flint at the fetlock, chasing the bone
      D         E                  A
Flies at the nostrils plunder

        D                        E                        A              F#m
The Suffolk, the Clydesdale, the Percheron vie
       D                E                  F#m
With the Shire on his feathers floating
D                   E         A            F#m
Hauling soft timber into the dusk
D                   E                      A
To bed on a warm straw coating

C#m     A      C#m                  A        B
Heavy horses, move the land under me
G#m C#m               A          C#m               A         B
Behind the plough gliding - slipping and sliding free
G#m              A               E
Now you're down to the few
                      C                 G
And there's no work to do
                    F#m      E
The tractor's on its way

Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed
To keep the old line going
And we'll stand you abreast at the back of the wood
Behind the young trees growing
To hide you from eyes that mock at your girth
And your eighteen hands at the shoulder
And one day when the oil barons have all dripped dry
And the nights are seen to draw colder
They'll beg for your strength, your gentle power
Your noble grace and your bearing
And you'll strain once again to the sound of the gulls
In the wake of the deep plough, sharing
 

C#m              B              A         B         A      B       A          G

F#m                      D                  E               A
Standing like tanks on the brow of the hill
       D          E                   A
Up into the cold wind facing
    F#m             D            E                  A
In stiff battle harness chained to the world
     D            E                A
Against the low sun racing
D                   E                       D
Bring me a wheel of oaken wood
    Bm       E                 F#m
A rein of polished leather
     D          E                 A           F#m
A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky
D              E              A
Brewing heavy weather
B          C#m             A
Bring a song for the evening
G#m   A            B
Clean brass to flash the dawn
A   B             E
Across these acres glistening
A       B     A     B       C#m
Like dew on a carpet lawn
G#m B   C#m                         A
In these dark towns folk lie sleeping
G#m   A B
As the heavy horses thunder by
A    B             E
To wake the dying city
A             B A     B             C#m
With the living horseman's cry
G#m B C#m                 A
At once the old hands quicken
        G#m        A       B
Bring pick and wisp and curry comb
A       B         E
Thrill to the sound of all
        A        B        A    B    C#m
The heavy horses coming home

Iron-clad feather-feet pounding the dust
An October´s day, towards evening
Sweat embossed veins standing proud the plough
Salt on a deep chest seasoning
Bring me a wheel of oaken wood
A rein of polished leather
A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky
Brewing heavy weather