RoE General > The Bard (IC)

The Songs of My People

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Ruideside/OM (RP):
The Thin Black Line
This is the Marching Song of the Brethren of the Black Flag and it is also affectionately known by the men as "The Walking Dead Song"

There on some nameless hillside
Behind a low stone wall
Stood the last three hundred
Here we stand or here we fall

In this land devoid of colour
Thinkin of my own Haelee
Thinkin that there is no place
That I wouldn't rather be

Could feel the blood rushing
Like a drumbeat in my head
Knowing that by this evening
We would likely all be dead

Sent a prayer up to Heaven
"Gods have mercy on us all"
This empty land has a way
of making a man feel small

Watching the ridge they'll come over
Trying to push away my doubt
Glanced quick at the others
when we heard the heathens' shout

Then we saw them in their thousands
And the Sergeant he did bawl
Remember we are Brechtish men
And here we stand or here we fall

[OOC: This is another of my poems, this one was written as "The Thin Red Line" and the only change was to substitute "Haelee" for "Marie" and "Brechtish" for "English"]

Ruideside/OM (RP):
The Relief of Adlersburg
This song, also known as "The Weirech Soldier Laddie" is the marching song of the Third Wierech Company of Foot, known as the Glorious 3rd.

'Twas a morning in Anarirai
I was walking to Zilber
When I heard a battle cry
From the mountains over head
As I looked up in the sky
I saw a Wierech soldier laddie
He looked at me right fearlessly and said:

Will ye stand in the band like a true Wierech man,
And go and fight the beasts from out the Crown?
Will ye not march with me to yonder battle field?
For tonight we lift the siege of Adlersburg!

Said I to that soldier boy
"Won't you take me to your Captain
T'would be my pride and joy
For to march with you today.
My young brother fell in Hoarladt
And my son out Faestadt way!"
Unto the noble captain I did say:

I Will stand in the band like a true Wierech man,
And go and fight the beasts from out the Crown.
I will march with thee to yonder battle field,
And together lift the siege of Adlersburg!

When in the end we held the field
In the dim light of morning
With our banners flying low
To the memory of our dead
We returned unto our homes
But not so that soldier laddie
Yet I never will forget those words he said:

Will ye stand in the band like a true Wierech man,
And go and fight the beasts from out the Crown?
Will ye not march with me to yonder battle field?
For tonight we lift the siege of Adlersburg!

Will ye stand in the band like a true Wierech man,
And go and fight the beasts from out the Crown?
Will ye not march with me to yonder battle field?
For tonight we lift the siege of Adlersburg!

[OOC: This one is a pretty direct rip off of the Irish folks song "Irish Soldier Laddie". There are any number of versions of this song on YouTube, but in my opinion the best is this one by the band Celtic Pirates. https://myspace.com/celticpirates/music/song/irish-soldier-laddie-25566207 ]

Ruideside/OM (RP):
The Curtain Walls Are Coming Down
This song, believed to be of Anuirean origin, is a great favourite among the men, it starts with all the voices singing the opening verse and then it takes the form of a call and answer song with each voice singing alternate verses, and then it concludes with all the voices singing the final verse. There are literally thousands of verses as they are often improvised and the song can last for hours, though the opening three verses and closing verse are always the same. Presented here are some of the more common verses.

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no liquor to be found
No, there ain't no liquor to be found

I'll give you my shoes for a bottle of booze
I'll drink it up and lay right down and die
Yes, I'll drink it up and lay right down and die

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no liquor to be found
No, there ain't no liquor to be found

I can eat more fat meat than you can cook in a week
I'll tell you no doggone lies
Yes, I'll tell you no doggone lies

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no fat meat to be found
No, there ain't no fat meat to be found

I'll can eat more chicken than a pretty gal can fry
I'll tell you no doggone lies
Yes, I'll tell you no doggone lies

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no chicken to be found
No, there ain't no chicken to be found

Well what you gonna do when your money is all gone
I'll hang my head down and cry
Yes, I'll hang my head down and cry

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no purser to be found
No, there ain't no purser to be found

I'll lay with a woman till the morning comes around
She'll never look at another man
Yes, she'll never look at another man

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no women to be found
No, there ain't no women to be found

I'll pawn you my knife, I'll pawn you my chain
I'll pawn you my gold wedding ring
Yes, I'll pawn you my gold wedding ring

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no broker to be found
No, there ain't no broker to be found

Come say a few prayers over me head
So I can go to heaven when I die
Yes, so I can get to heaven when I die

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no preacher to be found
No, there ain't no preacher to be found

You can plant bright flowers to bloom on my grave
They'll rise up and I’ll live once again
Yes, they'll rise up and I’ll live once again

The curtain walls are coming down
There ain't no flowers to be found
No, there ain't no flowers to be found

The curtain walls have now come down
There ain't a living soul to be found
No, there ain't a living soul to be found

[OOC: This one is based on the traditional American bluegrass song Raleigh and Spencer. It has been rearranged quite a bit and I wrote some of the verses myself and copied some directly. The version I have is a live one by Steve Earle. http://youtu.be/GdVIEg0KGx4 ]

Ruideside/OM (RP):
General Messer
This is something of a cadence song, with a single voice singing the odd numbered lines and the whole body of soldiers singing the even numbered ones. It is a satirical song that originated within my own Brethren of the Black Flag and is in the long tradition of soldiers good natured gripping. It has become something of an unofficial marching song for them. the men will break into this song whenever I pass by them on the march. The last verse where I am declared alive was added by myself off the cuff when the men finished the song and I turned to them and sang out "But General Messer's not dead and gone" and the men picked right up on it and carried on with the song and now it is always sung that way, though if I am around the men always wait for me to sing those lines. I believe that this fosters a healthy sense of camaraderie between my men and I.

General Messer gained the day
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Oh, General Messer gained the day
    Keep me from his burying grounds

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

Oh I wish I was old Messer's son
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
I'd hire a ship ten thousand tons
    Keep me from his burying grounds

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

I'd load her down with ale and rum
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
And all of me brothers would have some
    Keep me from his burying grounds

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

If General Messer were dead and gone
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
If General Messer were dead and gone
    I’d glad see him to his burying ground

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

We’d dig his grave with a silver spade
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
And his shroud of the softest silk is made
    I’d glad see him to his burying ground

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

And we lower him down on a golden chain
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
On every link we'll carve his name
    I’d glad see him to his burying ground

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

But General Messer's not dead and gone
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
But General Messer's not dead and gone
    So keep me from his burying grounds

Till me dying day in his army
    I’ve walked to long, Otmar, carry me along
Till me dying day in his army
    Keep me from his burying grounds

[OOC: This one is a pretty basic rewrite of the traditional English song "General Taylor as sung by Steeleye Span. http://youtu.be/_AvGwqLAmD4]

Ruideside/OM (RP):
Khouranish Brides
This is an old song, dating back three hundred years to the legendary mercenary captain Hurtur Aroeane's expedition to Khourane to fight against Maalvar's invasion of that land. Though it is an old song, it's subject remains current, as the fate of the a "campaign wife" is still generally to be abandoned when the contract ends or when the Company is sent elsewhere. This is not the case in my own Brethren of the Black Flag, as we make a great effort to provide for the women and children of our Brothers. It is our custom to ensure that they are brought with us to our next station, or if that is too dangerous to the nearest base. For example, during this latest campaign, our families accompanied us to Dhoesone and were lodged in Nolien until it was safe for them to join us here in our new land. It is expensive, but it does a soldier good to have his woman near him on a long campaign.

And we sailed out of Medoere bound for Nurida harbour
With spears a-gleaming and pride to the fore
We'd little to hope but we tried hard to cherish
The thoughts of our loved ones on Medoere's fair shore
 
And soon we were transported through hell and its fury
Through smoke and through fire, through terror and through flame
And at Sahadein we destroyed Maalvar's army
And in that short time we were heroes of Khourane
 
And I met with a maiden hair black as the raven
Her eyes they did glister like two diamonds bright
We spoke not a word at our very first meeting
And I lay in her arms all that long Khouranish night
 
And we travelled together o'er mountain and valley
And she by my side through many's the fight
She tended my suffering and she salved me of pity
And bore me a daughter for my heart's delight
 
And we marched into Ber Falaia proud Aroeane's army
The war being over it's homeward we're bound
And all on the quayside - the weeping and wailing
Four hundred women left on that cold ground
 
Farewell and adieu to you Khouranish lady
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Khourane
For we've received orders to sail home to Medoere
But I know in some time we'll return once again
 
And if ever I'm returning it's with gold in great plenty
And if I return it's with gold in great store
I'll search far and wide for my Khouranish lady
Who brought me such peace in the midst of such war
 
Farewell and adieu to you Khouranish lady
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Khourane
For we've received orders to sail home to Medoere
But I know in some time we'll return once again

Farewell and adieu to you Khouranish lady
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Khourane
For we've received orders to sail home to Medoere
But I know in some time we'll return once again
Once again
Once again
Once again

[OOC: This beautiful song is yet another traditional English song from the Peninsular War. I only changed the names and a word or two to make it applicable to the game world. The best version I have is by by John Tams. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQzmriHn5I ]

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