This one got started because I was dismayed at the high handed tactics of those in power. Since I try to avoid writing songs too embedded in contemporary references, I wrote a song that would allow two different listeners to be absolutely certain the song's about two entirely different power mad lunatics (and by implication, be applicable to any other power mad lunatics who come along in the future).
I'd like to think that I've done a nearly perfect job of it, except I'm not that self-deluded...
It took me about a day to rough this one out; the next day I listened to the exemplar over and over and over and over again to make sure the scansion worked out; the result was a few changes in the lyrics. Once again, after I posted it to rec.music.filk, Kate Gladstone gave me a number of very useful suggestions, some of which I adopted (and others of which I adapted)...as in other songs, I've flagged some of her suggested changes.
The tune is Lilli Burlero. This arrangement by Lesley Nelson-Burns at Lesley Nelson's folk music site.
Ho, brother John, dost hear the decree? Sent by the king throughout all the land. That we shall have a new deputy. Who will ensure united we stand. Chorus Our thoughts are our own if kept to ourselves And never allowed on our tongues or our shelves Our thoughts are our own but our tongues won't be still Until we're all free from the kings on the hill. If we protest in print or in speech Green and gold guards will point out our crime. The king will decide, when told of our breach Whether to banish, imprison, or fine. Chorus Said the proud king, "The winner was me! My coronating was done by you folks. Freedom you hate if you misagree, Under assent, or turn down my blokes!" Chorus "If you want change, then pick up a sword Enter the list, and win a crown fight. If you're too old, too weak, sick or poor, You'll have no say, 'cuz might makes us right." Chorus Prophecy said a king we enthroned Would break a proud land, and win lasting fame. Lo and behold, the land was his own So now and forever, we will curse his name! Chorus
If we should err, in print or in speech Men of the king, our error will find.Kate pointed out that 1) this sounded like the king was a grammar fanatic, and 2) it rhymed “find” with “fine”, a very weak rhyme. She suggested another line which (it seemed to me) had too many syllables, but it did encourage me to rewrite the line.
Said the proud king, ”The people crowned me! Though I'm uncouth and speak bar-bar-bar. If you dissent, if you misagree, You can go hang for all that I car.”Kate pointed out a few problems with it. First, it made fun of people who spoke funny. While it's very classical (see the etymology of the word barbarian and idiot), it's rather mean-spirited to poke fun at those who have speech impediments or who speak with a foreign accent. Next, not even You Know Who, rhymes bar with care, so the allusion would be lost (more precisely, people would begin to wonder “Gee, who rhymes 'bar' with 'car'?” and be distracted). She suggested:
He proudly proclaims: "The nation--that's me I got coronated by will of the folks: You threaten the realm if you misagree Or under-assent, or don't laugh at my jokes."Which I thought was hilarious, but it didn't quite get what I wanted (the haughty arrogance). One of the earlier versions of the song had the king declaring “The winner was me,” so I resurrected the line; you can see how the final version is a mixture of her version and mine.
"You are against, if you're not all for If you want change, then go out and fightIn the SCA, you are “king by right of arms” by winning a crown tourney. Exactly what this gives you is a subject of much debate; a strict constructionist would say that it's a purely honorary position (the original title was “king of love and beauty” or some variant thereof). Recently there has been a movement towards “I am king, therefore my word is law...” but the problem with this viewpoint is that there is not a shred of historical support for such a viewpoint: a modern president has far, far, far more power than any medieval king ever had, and if any medieval king tried for the “my word is law” argument, he would have found that his word is law so long as it happens to agree with what a rather sizable group of high ranking nobles thought was law. It was by no means democratic, but it was very far from autocratic.