The
Ballad of Bad King John
Hear it here with djembe drums!
The Angevins were Very Bad,
And Worst of All was John:
‘As foul as hell is, it’s defiled
By Eleanor’s Little John.
Wicked, selfish, lecherous,
cruel,
Insolent, shameless, wrong,
Kin-killing, vicious, spiteful, French, (pah!)
Dishonoured, grasping John.
Usurped his Lionhearted Bro,
The One Good Angevin;
Jugged Merry Freeborn English (yay!)
Forest-flying Robin.
Villain
of the Good/Bad History
School
and book and song,
‘Inadequate
with some Capone’
John.
King John. …Bad King John.
In 1216 at all time low,
His ‘soft sword’ half advanced,
His shrunk-crown empire
Richard-pawned,
Normandy lost to France, (pah!)
Despised by all those Magna
barons
Carting him to heel
Flinging him to French invaders
And Abdullah’s deal:
England given to Mohammed!
A rock moored off Morocco,
Hapless John at bay and 4 years
Excommunicado.
Villain
of the Good/Bad History
School
and book and song,
‘Inadequate
with some Capone’
John.
King John. …Bad King John.
From Lynn, he armied up to
Lincoln
As the Wellstream rose+,
Despised by Emperor, peasant,
guild;
His Rome-rule churches closed;
3000 men, wheels coming off,
Up creek without a guide;
The royal dosh lost in the Wash -
He never lost our pride.
For out in Norfolk we do
different,
And his haven, it was Lynn,
Their domain he made our borough*,
Gallant little Linnet king.
Victim of
the Good/Bad History
School
and book and song,
His Brother’s
Bad Book Good Book Keeper
John.
King John. …Good King John.
+ http://www.edp24.co.uk/norfolk-life/norfolk-history/41_king_john_s_treasure_1_214293 *http://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC110530
