here's a song i hum to myself any time i feel fear:

The Minstrel Boy

The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone

In the ranks of death you will find him

His father's sword he hath girded on

And his wild harp slung behind him

'Land of song!' said the warrior bard

'though all the world betrays thee,

one sword at least thy rights shall guard,

one faithful harp shall praise thee!'

the minstrel fell neath the foeman's chain

could not bring that proud soul under

the harp he loved never spoke again

for he tore it's chords asunder

and said 'no chain shall sully thee,

the soul of love and bravery,

thy songs were meant for the proud and free,

they shall never sound in slavery.'

-- jeremiah (braponspdetroit@hotmail.com), November 15, 1999

Answers

Wow! Thanks for posting this.

I used to know and sing this song, to its haunting Welsh refrain, as a very young boy growing up in England. For the life of me, I couldn't have remembered more than the first six or so lines today, though I well remember the liltingly beautiful tune.

Sure took me back to my boyhood, and "old forgotten battles, long ago," :)!

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), November 15, 1999.

Jeremiah--

I love reading your posts! Thank you.

-- karla (karlacalif@aol.com), November 15, 1999.

karla: Do you like to mudwrestle?

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), November 15, 1999.

jeremiah:

Just beautiful! How can I get a recording?

John:

Do you know?

Thanks,

-- eve (123@4567.com), November 16, 1999.

I dunno where you can get a recording, but you can listen to it if yourent the movie "the Rough Riders" they sing it twice in that movie, but only at the end do they sing both verses.

-- jeremiah (braponspetroit@hotmail.com), November 16, 1999.

jeremiah:

Thanks! I'm already planning to watch the movie this weekend.

Thanks for the lift.

-- eve (123@4567.com), November 16, 1999.