The Woad Ode

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"The Woad Ode"
Woad
Written by William Hope-Jones
Music by Men of Harlech
Lyrics by William Hope-Jones
Published 1921, The Hackney Scout Songbook
Language English
Recorded by Joe Hickerson

The Woad Ode is a humorous song, set to the tune of Men of Harlech. It is not intended to be historical. It first became popular in 1920s as a song in the English Boy Scouts[1]. The author was William Hope-Jones, a housemaster at Eton [1]. "Ho Jo" appears in the M.R. James' ghost story Wailing Well (1928), in which a group of masters take the Eton Scout Troop on an ill-fated camping expedition.

What's the use of wearing braces?
Vests and pants and boots with laces?
Spats and hats you buy in places
Down on Brompton Road?
What's the use of shirts of cotton?
Studs that always get forgotten?
These affairs are simply rotten,
Better far is woad.
Woad's the stuff to show men.
Woad to scare your foemen.
Boil it to a brilliant hue
And rub it on your back and your abdomen.
Ancient Briton ne'er did hit on
Anything as good as woad to fit on
Neck or knees or where you sit on.
Tailors you be blowed!!
Romans came across the channel
All dressed up in tin and flannel
Half a pint of woad per man'll
Dress us more than these.
Saxons you can waste your stitches
Building beds for bugs in britches
We have woad to clothe us which is
Not a nest for fleas
Romans keep your armours.
Saxons your pyjamas.
Hairy coats were made for goats,
Gorillas, yaks, retriever dogs and llamas.
Tramp up Snowdon with your woad on,
Never mind if you get rained or blowed on
Never want a button sewed on.
Go it Ancient Bs!!

This song is also known as Woad, The Woad Song and Woad of Harlech. A filk parody version is Code.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Uk Commentators: National Anthem Of The Ancient Britons
  1. ^  http://www.rook.org/heritage/celt/pict.html

[edit] Published Versions

  • Anthony Hopkins. Songs from the Rear: Canadian Servicemen's Songs of the Second World War. 1979 ISBN 0888301715

[edit] Recordings