Back with lots of new gigs with Brobdingnagian Bards. Plus I ponder how to start my own Renaissance Festival.

Songs:

• "Whiskey, You're the Devil" by Bruno's Boys from Last Call
• "Monkeys Over Mongolia" by Marc Gunn from unavailable
• "Tam Lin" by Nick Hennessey from Of Fire, Wind and Silver Stream

Notes:

• Brobdingnagian Bards - Irish, Folk & Celtic Music in Texas
• MiddleFaire, Hillsboro, Texas
• Bedlam Bards
• Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
• How to Successfully Start Up and Promote a Renaissance Festival
• EzineDirector.com - Manage Your Mailing Lists
• Queen Anne's Lace and "Infidelity"
• The Village Idiot's Guide to Renaissance Festivals
• The Next Renaissance Festival CD
• The Holy Grail of Irish Drinking Songs
• The Limeybirds
• Bards Crier Music Marketing Ezine
• Irish & Celtic Music Podcast: Celtic Men & Celtic Women
• Intro music by The Tea Merchants

Whiskey, You're the Devilwords and music traditional

Whiskey, you're the devil, you're leadin' me astrayOver hills and mountains and to AmericaeYou're sweeter, stronger, decenter, you're spunkier than taeO whiskey, you're my darlin' drunk or sober

Oh, now, brave boys, we're off to marchAnd off to Portugal and SpainThe drums are beating, the banners flying,The devil ahome will ye come tonightLove, fare thee well,With me tiddley idle doobie da be daMe tiddley idle doobie da be da,Me right full toor a laddieOh! There's whiskey in the jar.

The French are fighting proudly,Men dying hot and couldlyGives ev'ry man his flask of powder,Love, fare thee well,With me tiddley idle doobie da be daMe tiddley idle doobie da be da,Me right full toor a laddieOh! There's whiskey in the jar.

Said the mother: "Do not wrong me,Don't take me daughter from meFor if you do I will torment you,And after death me ghost will haunt youLove, fare thee well,With me tiddley idle doobie da be daMe tiddley idle doobie da be da,Me right full toor a laddieOh! There's whiskey in the jar.

Monkeys Over Mongoliawords and music Marc Gunn

There's an airplane over MongoliaMongolia, MongoliaThere's an airplane over MongoliaAnd I don't know why it's gone.

Some monkeys hijacked that airplaneOh that airplane, yes that airplaneSome monkeys hijacked that airplaneAnd they're flying it straight from Spain

Through the wind and the snow and violent rainThe violent rain, the greenish rainThrough the wind and the snow and violent rainThat blew from an elephant's brain.

As the airplane crashes down outsideYes, down outside, oh down outsideAs the airplanes crashes down outsideThey whistle su-i-cide... is dangerous

Mongolia, MongoliaThere's an airplane over MongoliaAnd I don't know why it's gone.

Tam Linwords and music traditional

Oh, I forbid you maidens allThat wear gold in your hairTo come or go by CarterhaughFor young Tam Lin is there, is there,For young Tam Lin is there.

For there's none that go by CarterhaughBut they leave him a pledgeThey either leave their mantles greenOr else their maidenhead, it's said,Or else their maidenhead.

Fair Janet's tied her kirtle greenA bit above her kneeAnd she has gone to CarterhaughAs fast as go can she, can she,As fast as go can she.

And she hadn't pulled a single rose,A rose but only oneWell up then came a tall young manSays "Lady, pull no more, no more,Oh, Lady, pull no more."

"How dare you pull a rose," he says,"How dare you break the treeAnd how dare you come to CarterhaughWithout command from me, from me,Without command from me."

"Carterhaugh, it is my own.My father gave it to me.And I'll come and go", young Janet says,"And ask no leave of thee, of thee,Oh, I'll ask no leave of thee."

Well he's taken her by the waist so smallDown to where the grass grows so greenAnd what they did, I just can't sayBut he never once asked her leave, her leave,Oh, He never once asked her leave.

Fair Janet's tied her kirtle greenA bit above her kneeAnd she has to her father goneAs fast as go can she, can she,Oh, as fast as go can she.

Four and twenty ladies fairWere playing all at chanceWell in there came young Janet fairAs green as any glass, any glassOh, as green as any glass,

And up then spoke an old faced knightWatching o'er the game,"Alas my young poor girl for theeWe will take the blame, take the blame,Oh, we will take the blame."

"Oh, hold your tongue, you old faced knightSome ill death may you die.I'll father my child on whom I willI'll father none on thee, be sure,I'll father none on thee."

And up then spoke her father dear,And he spoke meek and mild,"Alas my young poor daughter dear,I think you go with child, with child,Oh, I think you go with child."

"If that be so," Janet says,"Myself shall bear the blameFor there's never a knight in all your courtWill get the baby's name, name,Oh, will get the baby's name."

"For if my love were an earthly knightAs he is an elven greyI'd never change my own true loveFor any knight you have, you have,Oh, for any knight you have."

Well up then spoke her mother dear,She meant to do her harm,"There grows an herb in CarterhaughWill twine you and the bairn, the bairnOh will twine you and the bairn."

Fair Janet tied her kirtle greenA bit above her kneeAnd she has gone to CarterhaughAs fast as go can she, can she,As fast as go can she.

She hadn't pulled a single leaf,A leaf but only oneWell, up then came a young Tam LinSays, "Lady pull no more, pull no more,Oh lady pull no more."

"How dare you pull a leaf," he says"How dare you break the tree.And how dare you harm the babe," says he,"That lies twixt you and me, and me,That lies twixt you and me."

"Oh, tell me the truth, Tam Lin," she says,"If a mortal man you be.""I'll tell you the truth, fair Janet," says he,"I was christened as good as thee, as thee,I was christened as good as thee."

"But as I rode out one better winter's dayWhen from my horse I fellThe Queen of Elfland she took meIn yon green hill to dwell, to dwell,In yon green hill to dwell."

"And at the end of seven yearsShe pays a tithe to hellAnd I so fair and full of fleshAnd fear it be myself, myself,Oh, I fear it be myself."

"But tonight is Hallowe'enAnd the morn is hallow dayAnd win me, win me and ye willFor well I wish you may, you mayOh, well I wish you may."

"For at the murk and midnight hourThe fairie folk will rideAnd they that would their true love winAt Miles Cross they must hide, must hide,Oh, at Miles Cross they must hide."

"Three companies will pass by the first on horses blackAnd then will pass the brownAnd when you see the milk white steadYou must pull the rider down, down,Oh, you must pull the rider down."

"But then they'll change me, oh, in your armsInto many a things so wildBut hold me fast and fear me not.I'm the father of your child, you know,I'm the father of your child."

Janet's tied her kirtle greenA bit above her kneeAnd she has to the crossroads goneAs fast as go can she, can she,Oh, as fast as go can she.

The cold and gloom was the wayAnd eerie was the nightAnd a crescent moon hung in the skyAnd shown a ghostly white, so bright,Oh, it shown a ghostly white.

Just at the murk and midnight hourShe heard the bridles ringAnd that poor girl was afeared at thatAs any mortal thing, any thing,Oh as any mortal thing.

Oh three companies did ride by the first on horses blackAnd then there came the brownAnd when she saw the milk white steadShe pulled the rider down, down,Oh, she pulled the rider down.

And thunder rolled and roared aboutAnd the stars burned bright as dayAnd the Queen of Elfland she spun roundCrying, "Young Tam Lin's away, awayOh, young Tam Lin's away."

And in a flash they changed, oh, in her armsInto a lizard wildBut she held him fast and feared him notHe was the father of her child, child,Oh, he was the father of her child.

And in a flash, they changed him, oh, in her armsInto a writhing snakeBut she held him fast and feared him notHe was one of God's own make, she knew,Oh, he was one of God's own make.

And in a flash, they changed him, oh, in her armsTo a red hot block of ironBut she held him fast and feared him notAnd it did to her no harm, no harm,And it did to her no harm.

And they they changed him, oh, in her armsInto a naked knightAnd she wrapped him in her cloak so boldAnd kept him out of site, site,Oh, she kept him out of site.

But up then spoke the Fairy Queen,And fire burned in her eye,"You've stolen away the bonniest knightIn all my company, young girl,Oh, in all my company."

"And what I know this knight Tam LinHad I but known beforeI'd have taken out your heart of fleshAnd put in one of stone, of stone,I'd have put in one of stone."