The original words to The Highwayman

Once more, deathfic warning. But them as know the poem need not be warned.

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The world was a ball of darkness, blotting out the sun The moon a long-sought target, to which the ship did run The ship was a Firefly transport, Serenity by name And the Browncoatman came flying- flying-flying The Browncoatman came flying, buffer panels all aflame * He'd a long brown coat o'er his shoulders, his gun was gleaming bright Boots of the finest leather, and his pants they were too tight They fitted with nary a wrinkle, as he gazed out at the sky He stood by the bridge's front windows Watched out the bridge's front windows Stared out the bridge's front windows, and watched the moon go by * Down the stairs he clattered and clashed into the cargo bay and tapped on the ship's second shuttle, and to the door did say “We're entering atmo in seven,” he said with great aplomb To the lovely Companion, Inara, the Companion, Who was choosing that night's client on the screen of her com * And in low-moon orbit another spacecraft lurked Another spacecraft waited, preparing for to work And the captain sent a message, as through the dark he flew For he sought Serenity's doctor, Simon, Serenity's doctor, He sought Serenity's doctor, and his sister River too * "Have fun whoring, Inara, I'm after a job tonight But I shall be back with a cargo, before the morning light And if the job goes badly, and we can no longer stay Look for me by midnight, I will return by midnight, Be ready for liftoff by midnight, to make our getaway" * Inara opened her shuttle, and stood there in the door She raised her hand to slap him, said “Don't call me a whore!” But then she said “Be careful, when you're out on this job” And kissed Mal there in the doorway (Oh, one sweet kiss in the doorway) Then he broke the kiss in the doorway, and set off, the town for to rob * He did not come in the dawning, he did not come at noon And out o' the tawny sunset, came a' landing on the moon In a ship like a silver arrowhead, alighting on the moor A squadron of feds came marching Marching-marching A squadron of feds came marching, up to Serenity's door * They said no word to River, but bound her and Simon by law They tied up Wash and Kaylee and punched Shepherd Book in the jaw They boarded Inara's shuttle, with faces hard and stern They looked out her cockpit window, And forced her to kneel by the window, For Inara could see, from the shuttle, the way Mal would return * They bound her arms with handcuffs, in the shuttle's pilot's chair They trained their guns upon her, and did with her what they dared “You'll watch him die,” they told her; She heard the dead man say "Look for me by midnight, I will return by midnight, Be ready for liftoff by midnight, to make our getaway" * She twisted her hands behind her; the handcuffs still held true She wept to think what'd be the fate of Malcolm and his crew She stretched and strained in desperation, fear, and pain, and rage Til now, when the Feds weren't watching, One moment, the Feds weren't watching, Her finger gripped the lever, the shuttle to disengage * The curl of one finger 'round it; she sighed, then let it go Up, she sat at attention; she could not let them know She would not risk their seeing; they mustn't learn her plan For the road lay bare—it was midnight! The clock, it showed it was midnight Mal said he'd come back at midnight, and she'd have but one chance * Vroom-vroom; vroom-vroom! Had they heard it? The truck it did appear vroom-vroom; vroom-vroom, in the distance, were they deaf that they did not hear? Down the road at midnight, across the blasted moor The Browncoatman came riding Riding, riding! The Feds, they raised their rifles! She reached out, bold and sure * Vroom-vroom, in the frosty silence! Vroom-vroom, Malcolm's truck drew near The Feds were in position; she cleansed her mind of fear None of the Feds were watching the bold campaign she waged Then her finger gripped the lever Her finger pulled on the lever Her arm yanked down hard on the lever and the shuttle disengaged! * He turned; he drove off o'er the ridge; he could not figure why but he saw the Feds on the gangway, when the shuttle did hit sky And he saw what happened next; his face grew white as ash As the lovely Companion, Inara, the Companion, to warn her love at midnight, brought the shuttle down to crash * Forward he drove like a madman, shooting as he came Firing on the truck behind was Zoe and was Jayne Tight were his pants i' the planet's dark; brown was the hue o' his coat When they captured the ship Serenity Killed the Captain of Serenity And Malcolm Reynolds finally lay, on the gangway of his boat * * * * * * * * And still in the planets' dark, they say, when the world blocks out the sun When the moon's the smugglers' target, to which the ships do run Sails a ship, a Firefly transport, Serenity by name with a Browncoat man a' flying Flying-flying A Browncoat man comes flying, buffer panels all aflame * And down the stairs he'll clatter and clang into the cargo bay And tap on the ship's second shuttle, and to the door he'll say “We're entering atmo in seven,” he'll say with great aplomb To the lovely Companion Inara, the Companion As she chooses that night's client on the screen of her com