Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)

Subject: Hamlet - Adam McNaughtan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 01:21 AM

Somebody mentioned in the "Yellow on the Broom" thread that McNaughtan wrote a three-verse summary of "Hamlet." Can somebody post the lyrics to this song, and let us know where we can find a recording?

It sounds intriguing.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: OOR HAMLET (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Andy Geliher
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 05:58 AM

OOR HAMLET
(Adam McNaughtan)

The King was sitting in his garden all alone,
When his brother in his ear poured a little bit of henbane.
Stole his brothers' crown, and his money, and his widow.
But the dead King walked, and got his son, and said, "Hey listen kid. Oh

I've been killed and it's your duty to take revenge on Claudius.
You kill him quick and clean and tell the nation what a fraud he is."
The kid says, "Right I'll do it but I'll have to play it crafty.
So no-one will suspect me I'll kid on that I'm a dafty."

So with all except Horatio, and he counts him as a friend,
Hamlet, that's the kid, he kids on he's round the bend,
And because he isn't ready for obligatory killing.
He tries to make the King believe he's tuppence off the shilling.

Takes a rise out of Polonius, treats poor Ophelia vile.
Tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Denmark's a bleeding jail.
Then a group of travelling players maybe Seven Eighty-Four.
Arrive to do a special one night gig in Elsinore.

Hamlet, Hamlet, acting barmy,
Hamlet, Hamlet, loves his mammy,
Hamlet, Hamlet, hesitating,
Wonders if the ghost's asleep, and that's why he was waiting.

So Hamlet wrote a scene for the players to enact.
So Horatio and him could watch to see if Claudius cracked.
Now the play was called The Mousetrap not the one that's running now
And sure enough the King walked out before the play was through.

So Hamlet's got the proof that Claudius give his dad the dose.
The only problem being now that Claudius knows he knows.
So while Hamlet tells his mother her new husband's not a fit one.
Uncle Claude puts out a contract with the English King as Hit Man.

So when Hamlet killed Polonius. The concealed corpus delecti
Was the Kings excuse to send him for an English hempen necktie.
With Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to make quite sure he got there,
But Hamlet jumped the boat and put the finger straight on that pair

When Laertes heard his dad had been stabbed through the arras,
He came running back to Elsinore, tout-suite, hot-foot, from Paris,
And Ophelia with her dad killed by the man she wants to marry,
After saying it with flowers. She committed hari-kari.

Hamlet, Hamlet, no messin'
Hamlet, Hamlet, learned his lesson,
Hamlet, Hamlet, Yoricks' crust,
Convinced him that men, good or bad, at last must come to dust.

Then Laertes lost his place - and was demanding retribution,
The King said keep your head and I'll provide you a solution,
So he arranged a sword fight for the interested parties,
With a blunted sword for Hamlet, and a sharp sword for Laertes.

To make double sure, the old belt and braces line,
He fixed a poisoned sword tip and a poisoned cup of wine,
Well the poisoned sword got Hamlet but Laertes went and muffed it.
'Cos he got stabbed as well, and he confessed before he snuffed it.

Then Hamlets' mammy drank the wine and as her face turned blue,
Hamlet said, "I think the Kings a baddy through and through."
"Incestuous, murderous, damnéd Dane!" he said to be precise,
And made up for hesitating once by killing Claudius twice.

'Cos he stabbed him with the knife and forced the wine between his lips,
He said, "The rest is silence." That was Hamlet had his chips.
They fired a volley over him that shook the topmost rafter,
And then Fortinbras, knee deep in Danes, lived happy ever after.

Hamlet, Hamlet, all that gory,
Hamlet, Hamlet, end of story,
Hamlet, Hamlet, I'm on my way,
And if you think that that was boring -
You should read the bloody play.

Words: Adam McNaughtan
Tune: The Masons Apron

Seven Eighty-Four (7-48) were (are?) a stage company who took their name from the distribution of wealth. (7% of the population have 84% of the wealth).

Laertes is mis-pronounced in line 4 verse 9
The final line is usually spoken.
There a quite a few strategic pauses in the delivery which I've not indicated.

I think that sums it up nicely :)

AndyG

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From: Andy Geliher
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 06:05 AM

Any errors in the text of my previous post are mine alone, I've never seen the lyrics of the song and transcribed it from a video recording of Martin Carthy's performance.

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughtan
From: LaMarca
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 03:13 PM

Adam McNaughtan recorded it on his LP "Words, Words, Words"; I'll look up the label when I get home. The only major error in the transcription (allowing for stylistic variations between the folks I've heard perform this other than McNaughtan) is in the first chorus; it should be:

"Wonders if the ghost's a cheat, and that is why he's waiting"

which refers to Hamlet's dithering about whether it was really dear old Dad's departed spirit urging him to revenge...

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jun 97 - 10:45 PM

Thanks, Andy - now it's going to bug me until I remember where the heck I heard that song - I think it was on Prairie Home Companion a few years back.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughtan
From: Murray
Date: 08 Jun 97 - 02:33 AM

Note that in order for this to rhyme properly, it has to be pronounced in Scots! McNaughtan, being an English teacher, was always rather careful when it came to things like that.-- e.g."fit wan" to rhyme with "hit man", "now" pronounced "noo" to rhyme with "through", etc.

Subject: Lyr Add: OOR HAMLET (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Bo
Date: 08 Jun 97 - 11:27 AM

Here's a version with all the Scots in it.

OOR HAMLET
(Adam McNaughtan) (Tune: "Mason's Apron")

There was this king sitting in his gairden a' alane,
When his brither in his ear poured a wee tate o' henbane.
Then he stole his brither's crown an' his money an' his widow,
But the deid king walked an' goat his son an' said, "Hey, listen, kiddo,
Ah've been kilt an' it's your duty to take revenge on Claudius,
Kill him quick an' clean an' show the nation whit a fraud he is."
The boy says, "Right, Ah'll dae it but Ah'll need to play it crafty -
So that naeb'dy will suspect me, Ah'll kid on that Ah'm a dafty.

So wi' a' excep' Horatio - an' he trusts him as a friend -
Hamlet, that's the boy, kids on he's roon' the bend,
An' because he wis nae ready for obligatory killin',
He tried to make the king think he was tuppence aff the shillin'.
Took the mickey oot Polonius, treatit poor Ophelia vile,
Tellt Rosencrantz an' Guildenstern that Denmark was a jile.
Then a troupe o' travellin' actors like 7.84
Arrived to dae a special wan-night gig in Elsinore.

Hamlet! Hamlet! Loved his mammy!
Hamlet! Hamlet! Acting balmy!
Hamlet! Hamlet! Hesitatin',
Wonders if the ghost's a cheat
An' that is how he's waitin'.

Then Hamlet wrote a scene for the players to enact
While Horatio an' him watch to see if Claudius cracked.
The play was ca'd "The Mousetrap" - no the wan that's runnin' noo -
An' sure enough the king walked oot afore the scene was through.
So Hamlet's got the proof that Claudius gi'ed his da the dose,
The only problem being noo that Claudius knows he knows.
So while Hamlet tells his ma that her new husband's no a fit wan,
Uncle Claud pits oot a contract wi' the English king as hit-man.

Then when Hamlet kilt Polonius, the concealed corpus delecti
Was the king's excuse to send him for an English hempen neck-tie,
Wi' Rosencrantz an' Gildenstern to make sure that he got there,
But Hamlet jumped the boat an' pit the finger on that pair.
Meanwhile Laertes heard his da had been stabbed through the arras.
He came racin' back to Elsinore tout suite, hotfoot frae Paris,
An' Ophelia wi' her da kilt by the man she wished to marry -
Eftir sayin' it wi' flooers, she comittit hari-kari.

Hamlet! Hamlet! Nae messin'!
Hamlet! Hamlet! Learnt his lesson!
Hamlet! Hamlet! Yorick's crust
Convinced him that men, good or bad,
At last must come to dust.

Then Laertes lost the place an' was demandin' retribution,
An' the king says, "Keep the heid an' Ah'll provide ye a solution."
He arranged a sword-fight for the interestit pairties,
Wi' a bluntit sword for Hamlet an' a shairp sword for Laertes.
An' to make things double sure (the auld belt-an'-braces line )
He fixed a poison't sword-tip an' a poison't cup o' wine.
The poison't sword goat Hamlet but Laertes went an' muffed it,
'Cause he got stabbed hissel, an' he confessed afore he snuffed it.

Hamlet's mammy drank the wine an' as her face turnt blue,
Hamlet says, "Ah quite believe the king's a baddy noo."
"Incestuous, treacherous, damned Dane," he said, to be precise,
An' made up for hesitatin' by killin' Claudius twice.
'Cause he stabbed him wi' the sword an' forced the wine atween his lips.
Then he cried, "The rest is silence!" That was Hamlet had his chips.
They fire't a volley over him that shook the topmaist rafter,
An' Fortinbras, knee-deep in Danes, lived happy ever after.

Hamlet! Hamlet! A' the gory!
Hamlet! Hamlet! End of story!
Hamlet! Hamlet! Ah'm away!
If you think this is borin',
Ye should read the bloody play.

784 is the name of a Socialist Theatre Group in Scotland, so called I believe because 7% of the population owns 84% of the property.

Belt and Braces is a reference to the hypercautious practice of wearing both belt and braces (American, suspenders) to keep your trousers (pants up).

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Jun 97 - 11:48 PM

It is, after all, in the database. And it's McNaughtan, with a penultimate A. Every singer , apparently, has had a go at translating the braid Scots into something that more resembles English.

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From: LaMarca
Date: 09 Jun 97 - 01:21 PM

McNaughtan's album "Words, Words, Words" is on the Scottish "Greentrax" label as an LP; don't know if they do CDs...

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From:
Date: 13 Jun 97 - 04:01 PM

Is McNaughtan the one who originally wrote the song? I have two versions, by a local folk singer named Mike Agranoff and by Golden Bough, but I still haven't found the original writer.

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From:
Date: 15 Jun 97 - 07:04 PM

I wrote a vewrion of Hamlet in 6 verses to the tune of spencer the rover. If you'rev interested e-mail me and I'll sedn you the words. Malcolm

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 15 Jun 97 - 08:50 PM

Sure, send it along. Bye the bye, Newman Levy (former attorney-General of N.Y. State) also wrote a recap of Hamlet, referring to the opera. It winds up: Si the King dies, and the Queen dies and Ham dies I calls it a hell of a play.

Subject: RE: Hamlet - Adam McNaughton
From: GUEST,D Mcc
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 04:38 PM

Seven Eighty-four
Acting company 7:84
7% of the population own 84% of the land in Scotland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 May 09 - 09:17 AM

refresh for friends

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 01 May 09 - 09:24 AM

It's on Adam McNaughtan's 2-CD set "The Words that I Used to Know" which you can buy from footstompin.com (and presumably from CAMSCO).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 01 May 09 - 10:13 AM

Adam McNaughtan wrote it to try and get the kids he was teaching at the time interested in Shakespeare.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 01 May 09 - 12:32 PM

Apparently Adam has now finished a similar treatment of Romeo and Juliet, to the tune of "The Athol Highlanders" (all four parts). I've heard him sing the first verse, he got stuck on it for several years.

I think he's done other compressed-Shakespeare-to-Scottish tunes songs - Macbeth maybe?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Barbara
Date: 01 May 09 - 01:04 PM

And then, of course there's Grendel, Grendel , too.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: ADD: The Scottish Song (Adam McNaughtan) - MacBeth
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 02 May 09 - 05:28 PM

THE SCOTTISH SONG
(Words Adam McNaughtan - tune trad 'Soldiers Joy')

When the Scots had smashed the Norsemen, like steelies against jauries,
The Generals, Macbeth and Banquo, walked it back to Forres,
They met three dames that did a kinna fortune-tellin' thing,
Wha hailt Macbeth an' tellt him he'd be Cawdor, Glamis an' King.

Then Macbeth fell in a dwam but Banquo says, "haud on a wee,
"Ye've a loat tae say to him, huv ye got onythin' for me?"
The witches said, "The good news first an' then the bad we'll tell:
"Ye'll faither loatsa kings but ye'll no' be wan yersel."

When the King said, "Ye're the hauder o' the title 'Thane o'Cawdor'".
Macbeth wis fair excitit an' ambitious tae get oan
But his jaw near hut the flair when he heard the King declare,
"Ma boay's the Prince o' Cumberland an' heir tae the throne."

Macbeth, afore the rest, went rushin' hameward at full tilt,
Tae let his wife know she wid need tae air the king-size quilt.
She says, "Ye're mad tae say it or else Duncan's aff his heid.
'Cause if he sleeps here the nicht he's gonnae wauken up deid.

Then Macbeth convinced himsel' that his motives were the best:
That he widnae murder Duncan as his cousin, King an' guest.
"Ye're a coward, ye're a beast an' ye don't love me!" says his wife,
"An' we'll blame it oan the guairds." Says he, "Juist ca' me 'Mac the Knife!'"

So he killt Duncan and his lady smeart the drunken
Guairds wi' bluid an says, "C'moan tae bed. It's easy as snuff."
But Malcolm shot the craw, so did Donalbain an' a'
An' they didnae baffle Banquo an' they didnae fool Macduff.

So Macbeth invitit Banquo to a feast as guest o' honour,
Eftir hirin' three miscreants tae mak' sure he wis a goner.
An' at the feast he simpert aboot Banquo no' bein' there
But then he hud tae staun 'cause Banquo's ghost wis in his chair.

But what made him loass his marbles wis when wan o' the miscreants
Cam' an' said they'd malkied Banquo, but they'd missed the fleein' Fleance.
"Avaunt!" he starts, but Lady Mac says, "Folks, the pairty's closed,
"An' ye must excuse ma husband, he's a wee bit indisposed."

Banquo's line upoan the throne juis' so obsessed his haill subconcious
That he ordert them tae kill Macduff's wife, weans, cats, dugs, the loat.
Lady Mac says, "Ah must try, if anythin' that Ah can buy.
Persil, Ariel, Daz or Flash'll shift this bluidy spot.

But Macduff wis aff tae England for tae fetch back Malkie,
An' the boay says, "Ah'm nae use. Juist a randy greedy alkie."
Cries Macduff, "Ma hopes end here!" Malkie says, "Ah'm only kiddin'
"An' Ah'll tak' an army north an' cut doon trees tae keep it hidden."

Macbeth meanwhile decidit the weird sisters he'd get haud ae
An' he fund them bilin' soup wi' Tartars' lips tae gie it boady,
An' they tellt him he could no' be killt by man that's born o' wumman,
An' he didnae need tae fear till he saw Birnam wuid was comin.

So Macbeth became quite gallus but he'd nothin' left but malice,
He couldnae show emotions like compassion, joy or sorra,
When he heard his wife had died, he juist said, "Ah wid've cried,
"If it had been the morra an' the morra an' the morra."

Though a' his pals had skied it, he was safe in Dunsinane,
An' he passt the time by pittin' armour oan an' aff again.
Then the news that Birnam wuid wis oan the mairch gied him a scare.
He says, "We'll fight ootside, Ah don't want bluid a' ower ma flair."

He wis swashin', he was bucklin', he talked Siward's boay tae death,
But his confidence wis shattert when Macduff shouts, "Hey, Macbeth!"
"Against men o' weemen born," he says, "Ah've goat divine protection."
Quips Macduff, "Ah wis delivert by Caesarian section."

Then Macduff cut aff his heid an' when he saw that he wis deid,
Malkie says, "Yese a' are earls, the first there's ever been."
That's the story at an end but Ah still cannae comprehend
Whit teachers find sae funny in yon porter scene.

(alternative ending for non-teachers)
Then Macduff cut aff his heid an' when he saw that he wis deid,
Malkie says, "Yese a' are earls, come oan alang tae Scone."
So noo the play is played an there's wan thing tae be said:
It's juist half the length o' "Hamlet" when the curtain comes doon.

(from the CD 'Last Stand At Mount Florida', 1996)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oor Hamlet (Adam McNaughtan)
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 02 May 09 - 08:02 PM

Adam McNaughtan be the writer for sure and certain. See if you can find an excellent version recorded by Alistair Brown, as well.