The original of "In days of old...", IIRC, was a romantic song that began

In days of old, when men were bold

And barons held their sway,

A warrior bold, of fame untold,

Sang merrily his lay,

Sang merrily his lay:

My love is young and fair.

My love has golden hair.

and ended

So what care I, though death be nigh?

I'll fight for love and die.

You can see why parodying it must have been irresistable. Here are a couple more stanzas from my parents' childhood:

In days of old, when men were bold

And women not particular,

They lined them up against the wall

And screwed them perpendicular.

and, mirabile dictu, an innocent one:

In days of old, when men were bold

And cast-iron trousers wore,

They lived in peace, for then a crease

Would last ten years or more.

--- Joe Fineman    joe_f@verizon.net

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