Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MONK OF GREAT RENOWN
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 10:11 AM

There is some discussion of this old bawdy song in the threads and at least one version described. Here's another version that Richard Dyer-Bennet used to sing back in the early 1950's when visiting my family, as remembered by my mother. He also recorded a different version called "The Friar of Great Renown" in an album titled 1601.



MONK OF GREAT RENOWN, THE

(As sung by Richard Dyer-Bennet in the early 1950's as remembered by Dahlov Ipcar
Traditional bawdy song)

There was an old monk of great renown,
There was an old monk of great renown;
He fucked all the maidens of Camden town..

Chorus:

The old sod, the old sod,
The dirty old sod he did, he did;
The dirty old sod he did!

He took them all into his lily white bed,
He took them all into his lily white bed;
And one poor maiden he buggered her dead. (CHO)

The other old monks cried out, "For shame!"
The other old monks cried out, "For shame!"
So he fucked her back to life again. (CHO)

The other old monks to end his frolics,
The other old monks to end his frolics;
They took a big knife and they cut off his bollocks.

New Chorus:

The old sods, the old sods,
The dirty old buggers they did, they did;
The dirty old buggers they did!

And now I come to the end of my tale,
And now I come to the end of my tale;
They carried his bollocks away in a pail. (CHO)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 10:18 AM

Made 'em into Rocky Mountain Oysters and et them up, did they, Charley?**bg**

kat

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The
From: GUEST,Vic Gammon
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 04:03 AM

Pepys ballads 3.43

THE
Lusty Friar of Dublin:
With an Account how he was catch'd a Bed with another Man's Wife, and for
that Cause was adjudg'd to part with his Codlings to his great Grief.
To the Tune of Old Simon the King. Licensed according to Order.

This is the same plot as 'Monk of great renown' -
though much more extensive and elaborate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The
From: Lighter
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 04:55 PM

Gordon collected a brief version of the modern song sung to the shanty "A-Rovin'" in the 1920s. Presumably it was sung at sea around 1890.

It's tempting to see the later version as a descendant of Pepys's song, but perhaps they are related only by the theme.

Note that in 20th century versions, the woman is sometimes brought back to life.

Subject: Lyr Add: THERE WAS A MONK OF GREAT RENOWN
From: Joe_F
Date: 02 Aug 13 - 08:16 PM

THERE WAS A MONK OF GREAT RENOWN

(As sung at St Andrews University, ca. 1959)

1. NARRATOR (sings): There was a monk of great renown, (3x)
                      Who bought a whore for half a crown.

CHORUS
CONGREGATION (speaks): The sod!
                        The dirty sod!
                        The bastard deserves to die.
NARRATOR (speaks): How shall he die?
CONGREGATION (shouts): Fuck him!
                        (After 2. also:) Double-fuck him!
                        (After 3. also:) Triple-fuck him!
                        (After 4. also:) Quadruple-fuck him!
NARRATOR (whispers): Shhhh! Here comes the vicar.
VICAR (speaks): A prayer for those in trouble.
CONGREGATION (shouts): Abortion!
VICAR (speaks): A prayer for the frustrated.
CONGREGATION (shouts): Fuck!
VICAR (speaks): A prayer for the constipated.
CONGREGATION (shouts): Shit!
VICAR (speaks): A prayer for the castrated.
CONGREGATION (shouts): Balls!
VICAR (speaks): Gentlemen! What have we said?
                Let us pray for the soul of Brother Banglestein.
CONGREGATION (sings): Glory, glory, hallelujah!
                      Balls for Brother Banglestein,
                      Banglestein, Banglestein,
                      Balls for Brother Banglestein,
                      Dirty old man!
                      For he keeps us waiting
                      While he's masturbating,
                      So balls for Brother Banglestein,
                      Dirty old man!

2. NARRATOR (sings): His brother monks were so annoyed
                      'Cos with a woman he had toyed,

3.                     They put an end to all his frolics,
                      For with a knife they cut off his ballocks,

4.                     And now, bereft of all desire,
                      He sings soprano in the choir,

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Aug 13 - 06:10 PM

So nice to see some of the bits that were nipped off from this old song.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The
From: Lighter
Date: 03 Aug 13 - 06:45 PM

Ouch!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Monk of Great Renown, The
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 03 Aug 13 - 07:56 PM

Back in the mid-1940's, New York college kids sang this with the chorus:
(Building in intensity and volume)
The bastard!
The dirty bastard!
Fuck 'im!
Shit!
Weasel shit! (With Weasel drawn out and shouted)