Let’s all buy a round, let’s all gather round, Big Bald Bessy’s drum!
Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!
Well she’s bald as a football and she’s only got one leg
and that’s as thick as a tree-trunk and her bones are filled with lead
and she kicked a man to death but that was long ago they say
and now she kicks for Jesus singing 'the Lord is on his way!’
And she’ll beat the thunder silent
she’ll crash the lightning black
she’ll beat the bastards down
and then she’ll beat the bastards back
Her sticks are made from bones and all her drums are made from skin so:
Sing, sing sing!
Let’s all buy a round, let’s all gather round, Big Bald Bessy’s drum!
Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!
Her band are all cured lunatics, criminals and scum
and to a man they changed their ways when they heard Big Bessy’s drum
Napoleon was blown apart when he heard the bugle call
and Falstaff sang the melody as he let the city fall
And they don’t ask for forgiveness
and they don’t ask for reward
Damocles says 'if you please, damn your bloody sword!’
Heaven’s full of corpses and the grave is full of kings, so:
Sing, sing sing!
Let’s all buy a round, let’s all gather round, Big Bald Bessy’s drum!
Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!
It’s cold and it is dark outside, there’s nothing for you there
so if you’re feeling lonely come inside and grab a chair
the lines of politicians, and the lines of your old songs
But Big Bald Bessy plays the lines the stars do move along
And the angels fall from heaven
the demons from below
they’re all still queuing up getting tickets for the show, so:
step right up and move along, we’ve got just the thing:
Sing, sing sing!
Let’s all buy a round, let’s all gather round, Big Bald Bessy’s drum!
Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna
Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna
Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!
credits
from The Lost Cat Podcast,
released November 15, 2019
Written by: A P Clarke
Performed & Produced by: 76
supported by 21 fans who also own “Big Bald Bessy's Drum”
This is a great adaptation of Arthuriana and a brilliant narrative album. I love how the queerness of the characters is handled as an integral part of the narrative and plot development without it being the end all be all of the characters themselves. my boy Gawain deserved better though maritarvaniti
The new EP from Scottish songwriter Alec Bowman_Clarke goes deep, setting vulnerable lyrics to gentle melodies & stripped-back arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 30, 2021
Alec Bowman perfectly captures the dark soil under the pastoral world of British folk with this collection of melancholy originals. Bandcamp New & Notable May 12, 2020