The Wee Fellow Upon His Vessel (Remastered)

Tudor bardcore, Elizabethan, uptempo, lute, hurdy-gurdy, frame drum, recorder, major key, bright and rollicking, darkly comic, tavern ballad, medieval folk, call and response, male vocal

V5.5

[intro, spoken word, medieval, bardic]
Hark ye...
[lute intro, medieval, melancholic]
Draw near.
Attend ye this cautionary tale, of one who spurned wisdom, to his great travail…

[verse 1, sung, medieval folk, male vocal]
The traveler trudgeth within the dark tavern,
All weary of road and warfare;
He buyeth a pottage and flagon of ale,
To brood in the shadows, alone in his chair.

[verse 2, medieval folk, male vocal]
But soft! An old wizard doth sit at his side,
And biddeth the pilgrim to speak of his quest—
Of carnage and triumph, of silver and gold,
And burdens of iron that weigh on his chest.

[verse 3, medieval folk, male vocal]
The wizard doth nod with the weight of the ages,
And speaketh the counsel of wise men and sages:
"Glory and gold be but nothing, I say–
When set 'gainst the wisdom I offer this day;
Heed well my instruction, thou weary sojourner,
And gain more than coffers of treasure can weigh.

[bridge, call and response, tavern crowd, upbeat]
Oh heed thee the wizard! (Hey nonny no!)
He knows well what he speaks! (Hey nonny no!)
His wisdom will guide you! (Hey nonny no!)
To the treasures you seek! (Hey nonny no!)

[verse 4, medieval folk, male vocal]
Depart thou at once from the mouth of this hall,
And follow the pass 'twixt the mountains so tall;
Bear thou due South, down the downy trail yonder,
And tarry if needed — but heed thou my call.
Press on to the South where the sweet clover groweth,
And through the dark forest where mystery floweth;
There shalt thou find the Cave of Great Pleasure,
Where passion and love lie in wait beyond measure."

[verse 5, medieval folk, male vocal, mysterious]
"Upon the cave's crown sits a man in a boat,
Of stature most slight, yet most mighty his part—
Thou must kiss this wee fellow, so gently, so sweetly,
With patience and tenderness straight from the heart.
Kiss him with fervor until he be sated,
Spare not thy devotion, be thorough and true—
Then into the cave shalt thou go with great boldness,
When a fair woman there doth beseech thee anew."

[bridge, call and response, tavern crowd, raucous, building]
Oh heed thee the wizard! (Hey nonny no!)
Oh find thee the cave! (Hey nonny no!)
Oh kiss the wee man! (Hey nonny nonny nonny no!)
Kiss him once, fa la la la la la la la la!
Kiss him twice, fa la la la la la la la la!
Gentle and sweet, fa la la la la la!
Or thou shall earn naught but defeat!

[verse 6, medieval folk, male vocal, defiant]
The traveler stares at the sage in grim silence,
His pottage grown cold and his flagon run low;
He proclaimeth his theory with certainty burning:
"The man in the boat is a myth, as all know!
I'll bypass the perch—to the cavern I go!"
The wizard says naught, merely peers in his goblet,
And pities the fool for his dissolute fate.

[outro chorus, full ensemble, heavy percussion, frantic lute solo, call and response, climactic]
Lead: He leaveth the man!
Chorus: (A fool indeed!)
Lead: He seeketh the cave!
Chorus: (With haste and with greed!)
Lead: He'll find naught but the dark!
Chorus: (Hey nonny nonny no!)
Lead: No joy shall he know!
Chorus: (Fa la la la la!)
Lead: Watch the fool go!
Chorus: (Fa la la la la!)
Lead: The man in the boat...
All: He doth rule the flow!
[Whispered]
Lead: He doth rule the flow.

[outro, spoken word, solemn, lute fades]
He who would plunder the cavern's hoard,
Must first pay a tribute to the boatman on board.
How sad that this man's tale doth end—
He'll be ever the poorer,
And no lady's friend.

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[intro, spoken word, medieval, bardic] Hark ye... [lute intro, medieval, melancholic] Draw near. Attend ye this cautionary tale, of one who spurned wisdom, to his great travail… [verse 1, sung, medieval folk, male vocal] The traveler trudgeth within the dark tavern, All weary of road and warfare; He buyeth a pottage and flagon of ale, To brood in the shadows, alone in his chair. [verse 2, medieval folk, male vocal] But soft! An old wizard doth sit at his side, And biddeth the pilgrim to speak of his quest— Of carnage and triumph, of silver and gold, And burdens of iron that weigh on his chest. [verse 3, medieval folk, male vocal] The wizard doth nod with the weight of the ages, And speaketh the counsel of wise men and sages: "Glory and gold be but nothing, I say– When set 'gainst the wisdom I offer this day; Heed well my instruction, thou weary sojourner, And gain more than coffers of treasure can weigh. [bridge, call and response, tavern crowd, upbeat] Oh heed thee the wizard! (Hey nonny no!) He knows well what he speaks! (Hey nonny no!) His wisdom will guide you! (Hey nonny no!) To the treasures you seek! (Hey nonny no!) [verse 4, medieval folk, male vocal] Depart thou at once from the mouth of this hall, And follow the pass 'twixt the mountains so tall; Bear thou due South, down the downy trail yonder, And tarry if needed — but heed thou my call. Press on to the South where the sweet clover groweth, And through the dark forest where mystery floweth; There shalt thou find the Cave of Great Pleasure, Where passion and love lie in wait beyond measure." [bridge, call and response, tavern crowd, upbeat] Oh heed thee the wizard! (Hey nonny no!) He knows well what he speaks! (Hey nonny no!) His wisdom will guide you! (Hey nonny no!) To the treasures you seek! (Hey nonny no!) [verse 5, medieval folk, male vocal, mysterious] "Upon the cave's crown sits a man in a boat, Of stature most slight, yet most mighty his part— Thou must kiss this wee fellow, so gently, so sweetly, With patience and tenderness straight from the heart. Kiss him with fervor until he be sated, Spare not thy devotion, be thorough and true— Then into the cave shalt thou go with great boldness, When a fair woman there doth beseech thee anew." [bridge, call and response, tavern crowd, raucous, building] Oh heed thee the wizard! (Hey nonny no!) Oh find thee the cave! (Hey nonny no!) Oh kiss the wee man! (Hey nonny nonny nonny no!) Kiss him once, fa la la la la la la la la! Kiss him twice, fa la la la la la la la la! Gentle and sweet, fa la la la la la! Or thou shall earn naught but defeat! [verse 6, medieval folk, male vocal, defiant] The traveler stares at the sage in grim silence, His pottage grown cold and his flagon run low; He proclaimeth his theory with certainty burning: "The man in the boat is a myth, as all know! I'll bypass the perch—to the cavern I go!" The wizard says naught, merely peers in his goblet, And pities the fool for his dissolute fate. [outro chorus, full ensemble, heavy percussion, frantic lute solo, call and response, climactic] Lead: He leaveth the man! Chorus: (A fool indeed!) Lead: He seeketh the cave! Chorus: (With haste and with greed!) Lead: He'll find naught but the dark! Chorus: (Hey nonny nonny no!) Lead: No joy shall he know! Chorus: (Fa la la la la!) Lead: Watch the fool go! Chorus: (Fa la la la la!) Lead: The man in the boat... All: He doth rule the flow! [Whispered] Lead: He doth rule the flow. [outro, spoken word, solemn, lute fades] He who would plunder the cavern's hoard, Must first pay a tribute to the boatman on board. How sad that this man's tale doth end— He'll be ever the poorer, And no lady's friend.

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