I heard The Wild Rover at a Bardic Circle at Rowany Festival this year, and it stuck in my head. Tonight it occurred to me to filk the bugger, in the hopes that that might shift it. Here you go: a song for all those bards and minstrels who keep getting associated with one particular song (think: Llewen and The Foxy Song for the prime Lochacian example). Luckily I’ve never had that problem, but what the hell – it still makes for a good song.
April 2008
I’ve sung in Bards’ Circles for many’s the year,
And I spend all me effort on songs and good cheer.
And now I’m grown tired, my throat is quite sore
And I never will sing The Wild Rover no more.
And it’s no, nay, never! (Give! Me! A! Break!)
No, nay, never, no more,
Will I sing The Wild Rover
No never no more!
I went to the feast hall, quite late in the day,
And I told them I’d gladly get up there and play
They told me me, “You’re welcome, so come do your thing,
And you know just the song that we’d love you to sing…”
And it’s no, nay, never! (Oh! God! Not! That!)
No, nay, never, no more,
Will I sing The Wild Rover
No never no more!
I took from me pocket a book full of song
Of filk, folk and madrigals, short and quite long
I said “I have ditties and tunes of the best
If you only will spare me that song I detest!”
And it’s no, nay, never! (Sing! Some! Thing! Else!)
No, nay, never, no more,
Will I sing The Wild Rover
No never no more!
I’ll go home to me tent now, and try hard to sleep,
Though the thought of that damn song will cause me to weep
For though they request it as oft times before
No I never will sing that old Trad Irish bore!
And it’s no, nay, never! (I! Need! A! Drink!)
No, nay, never, no more,
Will I sing The Wild Rover
No never no more!
And it’s no, nay, never! (No! Hope! In! Hell!)
No, nay, never, no more,
Will I sing The Wild Rover
No never no more!
And it’s no, nay, never! (Dub! Lin! Ers! Suck!)
No, nay, never, no more,
Will I sing The Wild Rover
No never no more!