MORRIS SONG

(lyrics by Steven Levine, tune by Arthur Sullivan)

I. The Traditions

There's Evesham, Eynsham, Leafield, Litchfield, 
  Leominster, and Longborough,
Bampton, Brackley, Bidford, they are 
  none of them the wrong borough;

There's Fieldtown where old Cecil Sharp came 
  riding through to pillage men,
There's Adderbury Morris Men and 
  Adderbury Village Men.

Wychwood was a forest 'til the 
  Romans came to plunder it,
The Morris men of Ascot are re-
  -duced to dancing under it.

There's Abington and Kirklington and 
  Ilmington and Headington,
There's Oddington and Ducklington and 
  best of all there's Bledington!

	There's Oddington and Ducklington and 
	  best of all there's Bledington!
	There's Oddington and Ducklington and 
	  best of all there's Bledington!
	There's Oddington and Ducklington and 
	  best of all there's Bleding bleding, 
	  bleding, bleding, bleding bleding bledington.

To count as a tradition there are 
  some we call an "edges case",
Like Duns Tew and Much Wenlock and the 
  Hinton in the Hedges case.

There's Brimfield, Bucknell, Sherborne, and from 
  Winster a processional
When you know all these dances you're a 
  Morris dance professional!

II. The Tunes

There's Highland Mary, Brighton Camp, the 
  Postman's Knock, and Queen's Delight,
The strains of Constant Billy to a 
  Morris dancer means delight;

Hark the sounds of Morning Star and 
  soon you'll hear the cling o' bells,
And likewise Stepback, Sheriff's Ride, and 
  Forester, and Ring O' Bells.

All 'round the world our Glorishears great 
  pleasure surely gives a lass:
In Llangollen, for Jenny Jones, and 
  Richmond Hill where lives a lass.

Some play tunes at breakneck speed while 
  others take their measure slow,
Some like their Blue-Eyed Stranger fast, some 
  like their Ladies' Pleasure slow:

	Some like their Blue-Eyed Stranger fast, some 
	  like their Ladies' Pleasure slow,
	Some like their Blue-Eyed Stranger fast, some 
	  like their Ladies' Pleasure slow,
	Some like their Blue-Eyed Stranger fast, some 
	  like their Ladies' Pleasure slow oh 
	  oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ohhh!

Orange Bloom and Garters Green and 
  Bonnets Blue yield loyal tunes,
We know a hundred Trunkles and a 
  thousand Princess Royal tunes.

Now these are all melodies which 
  on my box I've taken up,
To learn of many others you can 
  pick a Francis Bacon up.

III. The Forms Various

There's Cotswold Morris, danced with hankies 
  outside in the summer time
Then winter comes and days grow short and 
  suddenly it's mummer time

When border dancers might be seen be-
  -neath a mask or blackened face
And then in Spring the graceful garland 
  dancers step in slackened pace

In Yorkshire you'll find village men who 
  wield a long and dapper sword
But miners in North Umbria pre-
  -fer a shorter rapper sword

A manly man who wears a dress will 
  indicate a jolly dance
Just pair him with a Lord and now you've 
  got yourself a Molly dance

	Just pair him with a Lord and now you've 
	  got yourself a Molly dance
	Just pair him with a Lord and now you've 
	  got yourself a Molly dance
	Just pair him with a Lord and now you've 
	  got yourself a Molly, Molly,
	  Molly, Molly, Molly, Molly, Molly dance

You might behold a green man, though that's 
  really more a fairy folk
Plus fools and betties, hobbies, and more 
  supernumerary folk

Plus Antler horns and Coconuts, per-
  -haps a broom to swing about
And those are all the Morris dances 
  I've come here to sing about.