More lyrics: Kings and Queend of England

Kings and Queens of England

(c) Vic Gammon

Now Charles II had eleven bastard children
And George III went mad
And Edward VII they thought was Jack the Ripper
But Richard III weren't as bad as Shakespeare thought he was
Victoria lay back and thought of England
Charles I lost his head
Well the best thing about those Kings and Queens of England
Is that most of them are dead.

Singing
Rule Britannia
Britannia waives the rules
Kings, Queens, Jacks and Knaves and tyrants
Cheats and fools.

Now William III was a protestant and Dutchman
And James I was a Scot
And George I spoke nothing else but German
What a mixed-up, inter-bred lot.
And William I was a grasping Norman bastard
Believe me, it's no lie.
Well there hasn't been an English king of England
Since Harold got one in the eye.

Chorus

Now she was a well-heeled blue-blood Cinderella,*
Him Prince Charming with big ears,
But he has a thing going with the ugly sister
So it ended all in tears.
So arise now ye ghosts of old Oliver Cromwell,
Brave Harrison and Tom Paine.
Won't you rind our land of this monstrous carbuncle
And bring sunshine after the reign.

Chorus

* I take it the well heeled Cinderella and prince Charming is Diana and Prince Charles?

A Lyrical Year's End

Earsdon, UK

     Over the holiays I had occasion to hear several old songs with historically based lyrics, accounts not only of single events but of several.  I will take these last few days of 2011 to share some of them.  If you happen to know something about the songs, do please comment.

EARSDON SWORD DANCE SONG

I heard this on one of the Waterson's albums, and found reference to its being called "Calling On Song" elsewhere.
Come people give ear to my story
We have called for to see you by chance
Five heroes I bring blythe and bonny
Intending to give you a dance
For Earsdon is our habitation
It's the place we were all born and bred
There are no finer boys in the nation
And none are more gallantly led

It's not for your gold or your silver
Nor yet for the gain of your gear
But we come for to take a weeks pleasure
And welcome the incoming year
My lads they are all fit for action
With spirits and courage so bold
They are born of a noble extraction
Their fathers were heroes of old

Now I shall tell of brave Elliot
The first youth to enter the ring
And so proudly rejoice I to tell it
He fought for his Country and King
When the Spaniards besieged Gibraltar
T'was Elliot defended the place
And he soon made their plans for to alter
Many died others fell in disgrace

Well the next handsome youth who does enter
Is a boy who is both straight and tall
He is the son of the great Bonaparte
The hero that conquered them all
He went over the Lowlands like thunder
Made nations to quivver and quake
Many thousands left standing in wonder
At the havoc he always did make

Now you see all my fine noble heroes
My fine noble heroes by birth
And they each bear as good a character
As any such heroes on earth
If they be as good as their fathers
Their deeds are deserving records
It is our whole company desires
To see how they handle their swords

Kings and Queens of England

Three songs about the Kings and Queens of England!



Kings and Queens of England

By Beethoven's Wig

First came William, then a second William
Henry, Stephen then a second Hank
Next was Richard called the Lion Hearted
Evil John, then one more Henry rose to the rank
Three more Ed’s then Richard came to power

Then three Hanks then one went to London Tower
Two more Edwards, Richard
And another couple Henry’s
Altogether Kings and Queens of England
Next came Edward, Jane and Bloody Mary

Then Elizabethan was the style
Next King James, two Chucks and one more Jimmy
Then together Will and Mary ruled for awhile
Then reigned Anne, four Georges and a Willy
Queen Victoria lived near Picadilly

Then two Eds, three Georges
And Elizabeth the second
All together Kings and Queens of England
All together Kings and Queens of England

And there is a third one from an irish point of vier recorded by Sandy Brecken and Ewan Williamson.. just gotta find the lyrics.

Bring Us In Good Ale

www.

Bring Us In Good Ale

Chorus:
Bring us in good ale, good ale, and bring us in good ale,
For our blessed Lady's sake, bring us in good ale.

Bring us in no brown bread, for that is made of bran,
Nor bring us in no white bread, for therein is no grain,
But bring, etc.

Bring us in no beef, for there is many bones,
But bring us in good ale, for that go'th down at once.
And bring, etc.

Bring us in no bacon, for that is passing fat,
But bring us in good ale, and give us enough of that.
And bring, etc.

Bring us in no mutton, for that is passing lean,
Nor bring us in no tripes, for they be seldom clean.
But bring, etc.

Bring us in no eggs, for there are many shells,
But bring us in good ale, and give us nothing else.
But bring, etc.

Bring us in no butter, for therein are many hairs,
Nor bring us in no pig's flesh for that will make us bears.
But bring, etc.

Bring us in no puddings, for therein is all God's good,
Nor bring us in no venison, that is not for our blood.
But bring, etc.

Bring us in no capon's flesh, for that is often dear,
Nor bring us in no duck's flesh, for they slobber in the mere (mire)
But bring, etc.

From Chapell, Popular Music of the Olden Time
Song from about 1460.

The Wilsons at Walthamstowe

You can hear great old songs like this on Radio Dé Danann!

I'm a Recorded Songwriter!

I never thought when I was fifteen and listening to Donovan that someday I would be a songwriter with a recorded song!

As of today, I am just that.  Druidsong, a marvelous Celtic artist, has recorded my song "The Ballad of Rory McGuinness" which I wrote about 43 uears ago to be a song "by" my novel's Shannon O'Neill about an event that takes place in the course of the novel, An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England - see right.

The current lyrics are more recent, and the melody has been arranged by Druidsong for his own performance.  The song will be on his upcoming album, due out sometime in June.  I, of course, will gleefully play the track on my Celtic radio station, Radio Dé Danann!

In the meantime you can listen to and purchase a download of this ballad at http://druidsong.bandcamp.com/ .

This just might be one of my top ten most exciting moments of my life!

Then if after you have heard the song, you want to know what really happened to Rory, buy my book!  It's available on Amazon.com, Kindle and on Smashwords.  It is also available for the print impaired reader in text and Braille output formats at BookShare.org.

Medieval Baabe - "Kinderly""

Music from Medieval Bæbes!

John Dowland Lute Songs

Christmas and New Year Revels

Muisic to NaNo By

For the best mix of Celtic music from all over the wordl -- no, really! -- listen online to Radio Dé Danaan, Music of the Pan-Celtic World!


Now available on wifi Internet radio through Reciva Internet Radio and Pandora.

http://www.live365.com/stations/nan_hawthorne

Me and Eseld

Nan and her newest friend, Eseld - BFF!

Anglo Saxon Lyre

Here's a Health To the Company

Anyone who has spent more than ten minutes at a Society for Creative Anachronism event has heard this song. Here it is performed a capella by one of my all-time favorite musicians, Kevin Conneff who is also part of The Chieftains. I just couldn't resist posting this and share with all my friends and companions.

Broadsword

A sort of amalgam of the song, which I adore, with Lord of the Rings and other fantasy impressions.

Asturian Pipes - Busindre Reel - Hevia

Video from The Lord of the Rings