The Ballad of Richard III

by Gwydion

When good King Richard, that's Richard of Gloucester Ascended the throne did he He made good his promise to lower the taxes And set all the debtors free

Now kindly King Richard was called Dicky Crookback By Henry of Richmond, was he 'Till all of his subjects had heard the foul rumor From Dover to Anglesey

Chorus: Henry of Richmond, he wanted the crown To wear on his bonny Welsh head But Henry the Seventh he'd never be Till Richard the Third was dead

You've heard of the princes who died in the tower The Tower of London, you've heard T'was Henry of Richmond who blamed his foul murders On goodly King Richard the Third

With plotting and pledges an army was raised To force our fair Richard to yield And the Wars of the Roses then came to an ending At the Battle of Bosworth Field

[Chorus]

The Bishop of Ely, he blessed our King Richard And promised to help in the fights But even before Richard came to the battle John Morton gave him last rites

The proud Rhys ap Thomas And handsome Will Stanley They promised their swords to their liege But shortly these bastards went over to Henry And even helped plan his siege

[Chorus]

The list of the traitors is too long to mention And the names of the faithful are few For Henry of Richmond vowed gold to the rebels And death to the loyal and true

Now Henry of Richmond was crowned King of England Some say he was Arthur returned But Arthur Pendragon, ne'er once had he murdered Nor looted, nor plundered, nor burned

[Chorus]

Now you may be thinking my story's told falsely Because you have read the Bard's play About Dicky Crookback, who murdered his brother All on St. Bartholemew's Day

But the truth is elusive (t'was true then as now) And falsehoods are easily spread For some men became saints while some became monsters Because of what Will Shakespeare said

Final Chorus: Henry of Richmond, he wanted the crown To wear on his bonny French head But Henry the Seventh he'd never be Till Richard the Third was dead