Cantaria: Contemporary: They're Hanging Him For Paying His Taxes

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They're Hanging Him For Paying His Taxes
Mikal Hrafspa (Mikal the Ram)

One verse and chorus: .wav (354K) | .mp3 (55K)
Entire song: .mp3 (299K)
"They're Hanging Him" is performed by Mikal the Ram.
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Notes from Mikal:
This was written to the tune "Nancy Hogan's Goose", and is one of the few filks I am guilty of....

Come gather all ye fellows
And lift a cup to memory
Of a common working fellow
Much the same as you and me

He was a simple goose-herd
A poor but happy working man
When the King's guard came to see him
And gather taxes in this land

Chorus
They've got him in the dungeon
They say in duty he's been lax
Oh, they're going to hang the goose-herd
Because he tried to pay his tax

When the guards came calling
The goose-herd said he'd try to pay
But he hadn't any money
To send off in the usual way

So he went out to his goose-pens
To choose the finest in his herd
And he told the waiting guardsmen
He'd like to give the King the bird

Chorus

The captain's face was livid
"You cannot speak so of the king"
So they took him to the Baron
To have Peer explain the thing

But the goose-herd was determined
He was a man true to his word
"If I cannot pay in money
Then I shall give the King the bird"

Chorus

Oh the Baron took to shouting
"A court of nobles should convene
To keep this peasant quiet
And keep such rabble from our king"

So they gathered all the peerage
But still the man would not be swerved
"If I cannot pay may taxes
Then I should give the King the bird"

Chorus

They were ready for a lynching
When in the King's own herald came
He cried out he had the answer
Keep silence in the King's own name

He approached the goose-herd kindly
"You see you poorly chose your words
It is not the proper etiquette
To try to give the King the bird"

Then the goose-herd seemed to brighten
As if a light came to his head
"If I cannot give the king the bird
I'll give the queen a goose instead"

Chorus

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