One evening in summer, when twilight was falling
Down by the river I chanced for to roam
And there a young man sat a-weeping and wailing
And rocking a cradle that was not his own
Oh sweet baby lie easy
Your own Daddy will never be known
With a-weeping and wailing and rocking the cradle
Of somebody's baby that was not his own
It was first when I married your innocent mother
I thought, like a fool, I was blessed with a wife
It's now to my sorrow and sad lamentation
She's turned out this plague and the curse of my life
Oh sweet baby lie easy...
It's every night to some ball or dance-hall
While I am left with the baby alone
A poor innocent laddie who calls me his Daddy
Though little he knows that I am not his own
Oh sweet baby lie easy...
Come all you young fellows who one day may marry
Take my advice and leave woman alone
For by the Lord Harry, if ever you marry
She'll give you a baby and swear it's your own
Oh sweet baby lie easy
Your own Daddy will never be known
With a-weeping and wailing and rocking the cradle
Of somebody's baby that was not his own
I've been a wild rover for many a year
And I've spent all my money on whisky and beer
And now I'm returning with gold in great store
And I never will play the wild rover no more
And it's No nay never
No nay never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No never no more
I went into an ale-house I used to frequent
And I told the landlady my money was spent
I asked her for credit, she answered me Nay
Such a custom as yours I can get any day
And it's No nay never...
I drew from my pocket ten sovereigns bright
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight
She said I have whisky, and wines of the best
And the words that I spoke then were only in jest
And it's No nay never...
I'll have none of your whisky nor fine Spanish wines
For your words show you plainly as no friend of mine
There's others most willing will open the door
To a man coming home from a far distant shore
And it's No nay never...
I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done
And ask them to pardon their prodigal son
And if they will do so, as oft times before
Then I never will play the wild rover no more
And it's No nay never
No nay never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No never no more
Guitar chords for The Wild Rover
C G C F
I've been a wild rover for many a year
C F G C
And I've spent all my money on whisky and beer
G7 C F
And now now I'm re-turning with gold in great store
C F G7 C
And I never will play the wild rover no more
G7
And it's no nay never
C F
No nay never no more
C G
Will I play the wild rover
C G7 C
No never, no more
Don't mind the rain or the rolling sea
The weary night never worries me
But the hardest time in a sailor's day
Is to watch the sun as it dies away
Here's one more day on the Grey Funnel Line
The finest ship that sails the sea
Is still a prison for the likes of me
But give me wings like Noah's dove
I'd fly up harbour to the girl I love
Here's one more day on the Grey Funnel Line
Oh Lord, if only dreams were real
I'd have my hands on that wooden wheel
And with all my heart I'd turn her round
And tell the boys that we're homeward bound
Here's one more day on the Grey Funnel Line
I'll pass the time like some machine
Until blue water turns to green
Then I'll dance on down that walk ashore
And sail the Grey Funnel Line no more
And sail the Grey Funnel Line no more
Here's one more day on the Grey Funnel Line
Cyril Tawney
I dreamed a dream the other night
Lowlands, lowlands away, my John
I dreamed a dream the other night
Lowlands away
I dreamed my love came standing by
Lowlands, lowlands away, my John
Came standing close by my bedside
Lowlands away
He's drowning in the lowlands sea
Lowlands, lowlands away, my John
And never more coming home to me
Lowlands away
He's drowning in the lowlands low
Lowlands, lowlands away, my John
And never more shall I him know
Lowlands away
He's lying in the windy lowlands
Lowlands, lowlands away, my John
He's lying in the windy lowlands
Lowlands away
When I was a Woodling and you were an Elf
And you were too young to look after yourself
I undertook to see you through
I did all you asked and a little more too
Each morning at breakfast you had open lips
While I ate your bacon, you ate my chips
And after we'd go to a nearby copse
You did your firelighting while I did my knots
We preached high morals, free love and the rest
To stick to our scruples, we did our best
Each night as our fair little heads touched the pillow
We stripped, we stripped, we stripped ... the Willow
Oh dearest, oh darling, I try to forget
The tears of sorrow, the long year of regret
It was like losing my complementary half
When you ran off with a member of Staff
In a neat little town they called Belfast
Apprenticed to trade I was bound
And many an hour's sweet happiness
Have I spent in that neat little town
A bad misfortune came over me
Which caused me to stray from the land
Far away from me friends and relations
Betrayed by the Black Velvet Band
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
I took a stroll down Broadway
Meaning not long for to stay
When who should I see but a pretty fair maid
Come tripping along the pathway
She was both fair and handsome
Her neck it was just like a swan's
And her hair it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid
And a gentleman passing us by
I knew she meant a doing for him
By the look in her roguish black eye.
His watch she took from his pocket
And placed it right into me hand
And the very next thing that I said was
Bad luck to the Black Velvet Band
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
Before the Judge and Jury
Next morning I had to appear
The Judge he said to me, Young man
Your case it is proved clear
I'll I give you seven years penal servitude
To be spent right away from the land
Far away from your friends and relations
Betrayed by the Black Velvet Band
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
So come all you jolly young fellows
A warning take by me
When you are out on the town, me lads
Beware of the pretty colleens
They´ll feed you with whiskey and porter
Till you are unable to stand
And the very next thing that you know is
You´ve landed in Van Diemens Land
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Guitar chords for Black Velvet Band
C
In a neat little town they call Belfast
G7
Apprenticed to trade I was bound
C F C
And many an hours sweet happiness
G7 C
Have I spent in that neat little town
C
A bad misfortune came over me
G7
Which caused me to stray from the land
C F C
Far away from me friends and relations
F G7 C
Be-trayed by the Black Velvet Band
C
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
G7
I thought her the queen of the land
C F C
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
F G7 C
Tied up with a black velvet band
On Hounslow Heath as I rode o'er
I spied a lawyer riding before
Kind Sir, said I, aren't you afraid
Of Turpin, that mischievous blade?
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
Says Turpin, He'll ne'er find me out
I've hid my money in my boot
O, says the lawyer there's none will find
My gold, for it's stitched in my cape behind
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
As they rode down by the powder mill
Turpin commands him to be still
Says he, Your cape, I must cut off
For my mare she wants a saddle-cloth
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
As Turpin rode in search of prey
He met an excise man on the way
Then boldly did he bid him stand
Your gold, he said, I do demand
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
Turpin then without remorse
Soon knocked him quite from his horse
And left him on the ground to sprawl
So he rode off with the gold and all
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
As he rode over Salisbury Plain
He met Lord Judge with all his train
Then hero-like he did approach
And robbed the judge as he sat in his coach
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
For the shooting of a dung-hill cock
Poor Turpin at last he is took
And carried straight into a jail
Where his ill-luck he does bewail
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
Now Turpin is condemned to die
To hang upon yon gallows high
His legacy is a strong rope
For shooting of a dunghill cock
O rare Turpin, O rare Turpin O!
In living cities, where the bricks and mortar teem
There's nothing more exciting than a little bit of green
And often on a summers day an idle hour to pass
Off to the woods I'll get away and roll upon the grass
Rolling on the grass amid the buttercups and daisies
That's the way, that's the way, an idle hour to pass
Rolling on the grass amid the buttercups and daisies
Fancying you're a child again and rolling on the grass
The prettiest of carpet stairs that ever could be found
With may bells scattered here and there and may bushes around
A bright blue sky above o'er which the silver clouds roll by
And sky larks think it but a lark to sing up in the sky
Rolling on the grass...
One day as I reclined it was, and half inclined to dream
I suddenly was startled by a female's piercing scream
(All the ladies scream).
Toward me ran a pretty girl in a fearful state of mind
And followed by a frantic cow, unpleasantly behind
(SPOKEN):But of course as you might imagine to spring to me feet and take the fainting maid in me arms was but the work of a quarter of a minute. The cow seemed mighty fine, attitude an stared. I took out my handkerchief and waved commandingly saying, Be gone now, be gone. At which point the cow turned and sent us both
Rolling on the grass...
I often saw her after that and this was my excuse
That if a frantic cow turned up I might perhaps be of use
She's going to change her name to mine, in a few short weeks she'll pass
And so I bless that blessed cow and rolling on the grass
Rolling on the grass amid the buttercups and daisies
That's the way, that's the way, an idle hour to pass
Rolling on the grass amid the buttercups and daisies
Fancying you're a child again and rolling on the grass
ABDUL EL BULBUL AMIR
The sons of the Prophet were brave men and bold
And quite unaccustomed to fear
But the bravest by far in the ranks of the Shah
Was Abdul el Bulbul Amir
If you wanted a man to encourage the van
Or to harass the foe in the rear
Storm fort or redoubt you had only to shout
For Abdul el Bulbul Amir
There were heroes in plenty and well known to fame
In the troops that were led by the Czar
But none of more fame than a man by the name
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skivar
He could sing like Caruso, both tenor and bass
And perform on the Spanish Guitar
In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team
Was Ivan Skavinsky Skivar
One day this bold Russian had shouldered his gun
And put on his most arrogant sneer
Down town he did go where he trod on the toe
Of Abdul el Bulbul Amir
Young man, quoth Abdul, Has your life grown so dull
that you're anxious to end your career?
Vile infidel know, you have trod on the toe
Of Abdul el Bulbul Amir
So take your last look at both sunshine and brook
And send your regrets to the Czar
By which I imply you are going to die
Count Ivan Skavinsky Skivar
Said Ivan, My friend, your remarks in the end
Will avail you but little I fear
You will never survive to repeat them alive
Mr Abdul el Bulbul Amir
Then that bold Mameluke drew his trusty skibouk
And shouted out, Allah Akbar!
With murderous intent he ferociously went
For Ivan Skavinsky Skivar
They parried and thrust, they side-stepped and cussed
Of blood they spilled a great part
The philologist blokes, who seldom crack jokes
Say that hash was first made on the spot
They fought all that night neath the pale yellow moon
The din, it was heard from afar
And huge multitudes came, so great was the fame,
Of Abdul and Ivan Skavar
As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life
In fact he was shouting, "Huzzah!"
He felt himself struck by that wily Calmuck
Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar
The Sultan drove by in his red-breasted fly
Expecting the victor to cheer
But he only drew nigh to hear the last sigh
Of Abdul Abulbul Amir
There's a tomb rises up where the Blue Danube rolls
And graved there in characters clear
Is, Stranger, when passing, oh pray for the soul
Of Abdul Abulbul Amir
A splash in the Black Sea one dark moonless night
Caused ripples to spread wide and far
It was made by a sack fitting close to the back
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.
A Muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps,
'Neath the light of the cold northern star,
And the name that she murmurs in vain as she weeps,
Is Ivan Skavinsky Skavar
Percy French
It's so very taxing
My tent is collapsing
I found myself one pole too short
So I phoned up the council
They said, You scoundrel
We're going to take you to court
North Pole South Pole, flag pole, bean pole
But there's one pole you can axe
It's the p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . pole tax
There's been infiltration
In this organisation
The taxmen are dressed as camp chiefs
Hogg'll ogle your tent
And you know what is meant
He's really just one more pole thief
North Pole South Pole, flag pole, bean pole
But there's one pole you can axe
It's the p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . pole tax
I'm cheesed off with camping
My spirits are dampening
My tent without poles is sod all
I want bricks and mortar
And hot running water
So I'll go and install at Rushall
North Pole South Pole, flag pole, bean pole
But there's one pole you can axe
It's the p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . p . . . pole tax
Guitar chords for the Pole Tax Song
C Am
It's so very taxing, My tent is collapsing
F G
I found myself one pole too short
C Am
So I phoned up the council, they said, Hey you scoundrel
F G
We're going to take you to court
C A7 D7 G
North Pole, South Pole, flag pole, bean pole
C A7
But there's one pole you can axe
D7 G C ...G7
It's the P...P...P...P...P...Pole tax
Written and sung on Glee Campus 1991