Dm    F  Dm    F    C  Dm

[Verse 1]
Dm                                                                    F
I come to you now with ink and quill to commit my soul by my own free will
       Dm                                                       F
For if I don't care to climb that hill and tell my tale, nobody will
F                   C      Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Verse 2]
Dm                                                                                 F
They were wide awake in the carriage house and I snuck to the window like a stable mouse
      Dm                                                                        F
Now I can't forget and my hair's gone white, the things I saw in the flickering light
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Verse 3]
Dm                                                                                     F
They were all in the kitchen and the drink did flow, there was Bing and Dean on the radio
    Dm                                                                             F
The wind did howl, they will send below, they were safe and sound from the ice and snow
F      C  Dm

[Verse 4]
Dm                                                                    F
And on the windowsill by the candle's glow I could see an old cat calico
  Dm                                                               F
A bowl of cloves and pistachios, a bow on a thistle and some mistletoe
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Verse 5]
Dm                                                                       F
Once I surveyed the scene I made my haste, up to the chimney without a trace
        Dm                                                                   F
For the sand runs fast at a rabbit's pace and it's Christmas Eve, no time to waste
F      C  Dm

[Verse 6]
Dm                                                                                         F
I crept past the kitchen on the tip of my toes, straight to the parlor where the pine tree glows
  Dm                                                                   F
A string of socks lined up in rows, I was followed by that old cat calico
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Verse 7]
Dm                                                                                   F
There in the house of the familyhood, they had nine little babes and they'd all been good
      Dm                                                                    F
I was carrying more than an old man should, nine little kittens made out of wood
F      C  Dm

[Verse 8]
Dm                                                                    F
As I knelt beneath that Christmas tree and spread the gifts out quietly
Dm                                               F
All at once so suddenly I found myself with company
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Verse 9]
Dm                                                           F
His presence shocked and bothered me for I must work in secrecy
    Dm                                                       F
But there he was, all shadowy, his feet just cloaked in mystery
    Dm                                                F
His voice was low and pillowy, as he offered his apology
Dm                                               F
Do not fear he said to me, and pardon my proximity
   Dm                                                       F
My name is Arthur Hood he said but you can call me Art instead
  Dm                                                               F
I built the floor upon which we tread and I built the roof up over head
    Dm                                                    F
And much like you, I am seldom seen, rarely want to intervene
  Dm                                                                 F
I fix things up and I keep things clean, catching leaks and mending screens
     Dm                                                  F
And I always felt that you and I were of one fate to occupy
Dm                                                                    F
Pleased to meet you eye-to-eye and he wished me well and he said goodbye
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Verse 10]
Dm                                                                                F
It was time to go for the bells did ring, I had a list of lists about a thousand things
Dm                                                                           F
That's one song I shall not sing, for the eye must leave what the silence brings
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago

[Outro]
Dm                                                                                             F
I was heading for the chimney just as slow as I could when I saw on the mantle carved into the wood
 Dm                                                                      F
Six little words that would shiver me good: "In loving memory of Arthur Hood"
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago
Dm
In loving memory of Arthur Hood
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago
F                   C     Dm
one winter's night, long ago