Willie-O's Song Challenge

Subject: RE: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: Amos
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 01:21 PM

Willie,

You'll need to buy two pints. I'm betting Mario qualifies.

Here's a toast in black rum to the passing of kings and queens. They certainly made life interesting!

A

Subject: RE: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: Amos
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 12:10 PM

Hey, Willie, was there a bet riding on this? I'm over on Mudcat Island, ready to collect. A pint of dark rum will settle the matter -- just look for the gleaming schooner, or I may be dancing in the sands with a lady like a dove... :>))

Subject: RE: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: MMario
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 12:09 PM

1603-March 25th

Does anyone here remember Good King Harry? He was England when I was young It seems like yesterday That he was on the throne But I just turned around and he is gone.

Does anyone here remember Harry's son? Why did he have to die so young? It seems like yesterday That he was on the throne but I just turned around and he is gone

Does anyone here remember Bloody Mary? Can't say I'm sad that she is gone But it seems just yesterday that she was on the throne And I just turned around and she is gone.

Has anyone here seen Good Queen Bess? She's ruled us all for oh so long; It seems just yesterday When she was young and strong Then I turned around and she was gone.

Subject: RE: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: Áine
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 12:00 PM

Well, I have to say that I'm impressed. Well done, Amos! This will definitely go into the Songbook!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: Amos
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 11:55 AM

This is a rough draft, with lots of room for improvement. The story it could tell is so complex it could go on for pages, but for the purposes of this thread, let it lie...

1066

Come forth, come forth, ye Saxon theigns!
Ye blue blooded heros many
Stand up, stand up to William's hordes
From Bogside to Boeny

Your homes and sons and loving wives
The tyrants will be wasting
Come forth, bold  churls, and armoured ride
And meet us down at Hasting

At Stanford Bridge, brave Harold's men
Hadrada's force  have smitten
And now three hundred miles will march
To Caldbec, it is written

With long swords high the foe we will meet
Our battle lines are forming,
Be not misled by bold retreat,
Beware the wiley Norman

But Hastings grasses ran with blood
Where Edwin's sons lay dying
And Tostig's shades are standing there
Where the Norman flag is flying

Our fyrd and fleet all broken lie
Their battle axes broken
On Hastings field, by pennants high
Cruel  treachery is spoken

Farewell to Wight, where Danish hordes
Have burst our barriers through
Weep long, you Saxon maidens fair
For the men that William slew

Now Angle men and Picts so bold,
In flight and fear are calling
The fields is red with blood once  true,
And England fair  has fallen.
 

Subject: RE: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: Amos
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 11:09 AM

I'm working on one for ye, Willie.

Subject: Willie-O's Song Challenge
From: Willie-O
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 10:58 AM

The way the contents of Aine's Mudcat Songbook are ordered, the first song listed is my ballad "1743", because the index puts numbered titles in sequence first, then alphabetizes the rest.

So here's my challenge: write a song about a year or event which preceded 1743 AD, (as far back as 1742 BC actually), entitle it accordingly, and knock me out of the top spot! I dare ya!

Rules? There's just one: Aine's gotta like it enough to put it in. (I of course defer to her excellent judgment.) I don't want to get on the wrong side of our red-haired Tex-Irish Gaelic Goddess, so submissions should be real songs of high quality only, worthy of inclusion.

Or else really, really terrible. But definitely no dancing leprechauns.

Write on!

Yours, eh, Willie-O