Often there is an historical context for nursery rhymes - whether securely or loosely based on fact or as the result of urban mythology, passed down through the generations.

 

In this collection, I've taken a handful of favourite nursery rhymes with a royal theme and reinterpreted them in the way that appeals most to my imagination.  I you enjoy playing them as much as I did writing them!

 

Those Fiddlers Three

 

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,

And really, who wouldn't be?!!

We can only surmise 

What he smoked in his pipe

And the truth of his fiddlers three...

 

Truly I jest, for the subject of our tale

Was blessed with finer needs

Music poured from the walls 

Of his banqueting halls

And heralded battlery!

 

 

A Pocketful of Jazz

 

Sing a song of sixpence for a pocketful of jazz

Crying monks and royal drunks make for great pizazz

Tear apart the churches, rob them of their bling

Lose the wife (just take her life) and lo!  A happy king!

 

 

All the King's Horses

 

When you're the king and in charge of defence

It's never too clever to sit on the fence

As poor Humpty found to infamy eternal

Watch out for your back with your generals and colonels!

 

 

Sweet Lavender

 

Lavender's blue - or more purple I think

And this song isn't really about queens and kings

But courting and passion have plenty in common

With right royal hijinks midst times long forgotten ...

 

 

And He Marched Them Down Again

 

The grand old Duke of York

Wasn't great at strategy

Let his army down

Ditched his wife and found

Solace in debauchery!

 

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

 

Now, you might think all these nobles

Have the edge on foolish foibles

But there's nought so reviled 

As complacence and pride

So be humble, wise and loyal!

 

 

Jocelyn E Kotchie (copyright 2015)

 

 

 

 

Grading: Approx 7th - Diploma AMEB/ANZCA