According to Ewan MacColl, from whom I learned this back in the Dark Ages, this ‘lugubrious ditty’ originated with the Middle East Air Force Regiment in World War II, but is now also claimed by every other unit to see service in that part of the world. According to his sleeve notes for ‘Bundook Ballads’, “The only song which exceeds it in popularity among desert troops is the ribald Ballad of King Farouk, a song of rich bawdiness and impossible advice.”
Posted by: David Harley | November 19, 2016
Seven Years in the Sand [demo]
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: David Harley | November 3, 2016
reynardine
A very 60s-ish guitar arrangement of a traditional song. Final arrangement might be quite a lot different. Words and tune approximately as A.L. Lloyd et al. Is he (Reynardine, that is) a British outlaw, a Bluebeard, a werefox, a French outlaw? I don’t know, but he’s attracted many different theories, which I’ll maybe go into later…
backup:
Just trying out some ideas at the moment.
David Harley
Posted in David Harley, Songs
Posted by: David Harley | November 1, 2016
Epitaph for an army of mercenaries
Alternative tune:
Better version of alternative tune:
Posted in Uncategorized
Categories
- Alan Doyle
- Albums
- Alison Pittaway
- Atlantic Union
- blues
- books
- Coast FM
- David Harley
- David Higgen
- Don McLeod
- Farewell Reunion
- Instrumental
- Interviews
- local history
- media
- Musical Events
- Musical Friends
- Nashville tuning
- New Prize Silver Jug Band
- Parodies
- pre-minstrel tension
- prose
- Radio Wigwam
- rant
- resources
- Reviews
- security
- settings
- single
- Songs
- Substack
- travel
- Uncategorized
- verse
- videos
David Harley Words & Music 
You must be logged in to post a comment.