The Brobdingnagian Bards perform coast-to-coast, and in a given month might be at a Lord of the Rings Oscar Party, a Celtic festival, or a Science Fiction Convention. However, they are an absolute favorite at Renaissance Faires where they add high-energy and wit to make every show a memorable experience.
Marc Gunn, formerly of Austin Texas' alternative rock bands Skander and Breastfed, released a solo album (Geography) featuring himself on autoharp and Andrew McKee on recorder in 1998. This initial collaboration lead to the official formation of the Brobdingnagian Bards in 1999.
The group's name is derived from the kingdom of coarse giants described in Jonathan Swift's satirical novel Gulliver's Travels. The band is currently made up of its original two members, Marc Gunn (autoharp, vocals), and Andrew McKee (recorder, mandolin).
The Brobdingnagian Bards musical style is best described as a mixture of both Irish and Scottish folk songs. Despite performing in what is considered a "niche" genre, this duo was ranked as one of the top 20 bands on the original MP3.com. Over time, the Bards have also honed their act into live entertainment by adding comedy, with McKee being the "straight-man" to Gunn's antics. As a result, they have also become a familiar and popular act on both the renaissance faire and geek-show circuits.
The Bards had the honor of being headliners at the Oscar party for the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. They have also received an Austin Music Award for Best Novelty Band, and were the first Celtic band to ever win such an accolade. In addition to the many conventions, faires and music festivals the group performs at around the Austin area, they also have toured coast to coast, and developed a following of devoted listeners, referred to as "Nagians."
Come Out Ye Black and Tans
Brobdingnagian Bards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the loving English feet they tramped all over us,
And each and every night when me father'd come home tight
He'd invite the neighbors outside with this chorus:
Oh, come out you black and tans,
Come out and fight me like a man
Show your wives how you won medals down in Flanders
From the green and lovely lanes in Killashandra.
Come let me hear you tell
How you slammed the great Pernell,
When you fought them well and truly persecuted,
Where are the smears and jeers
That you bravely let us hear
When our heroes of sixteen were executed.
Come tell us how you slew
Those brave Arabs two by two
Like the Zulus they had spears and bows and arrows,
How you bravely slew each one
With your sixteen pounder gun
And you frightened them poor natives to their marrow.
The day is coming fast
And the time is here at last,
When each yeoman will be cast aside before us,
And if there be a need
Sure my kids wil sing, "Godspeed!"
With a verse or two of Steven Beehan's chorus.
The lyrics of the Brobdingnagian Bards' song "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" are a commentary on the conflict between the Irish and the British in the early 20th century. The song begins by describing the singer's birthplace on a Dublin street where the sounds of the British military marching were a constant presence. The lyrics go on to express the singer's anger at the British soldiers who "tramped all over us." The song then delves into the singer's memories of his father inviting his neighbors outside to chant "Come out you black and tans, / Come out and fight me like a man," which is a direct challenge to the British soldiers who were known as the Black and Tans.
The lyrics then take on a sarcastic tone as the singer asks the British soldiers to tell stories of their supposed bravery in war, using the examples of the Great Pernell, the Irish Republican Army, and the execution of the heroes of 1916. The song challenges the idea of British bravery and superiority, questioning their methods of violence against those who they deemed inferior. The singer sarcastically refers to the British soldiers' use of firearms and advanced weaponry against "brave Arabs two by two" and "poor natives."
The song ends on a hopeful note with the singer predicting the day when the British will be cast aside, and the Irish people will sing songs of their own heroes, particularly Stephen Behan's chorus. The lyrics of the song express the deep-rooted anger and defiance of the Irish people, who resisted British control and demanded independence and equality.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born on a Dublin street where the Royal drums do beat
I was born in a place where the presence of the British army could be felt through the sound of their constant drumming.
And the loving English feet they tramped all over us,
The British soldiers walked all over our land, showing that they had no regard for the Irish people.
And each and every night when me father'd come home tight
Each night when my father came home drunk,
He'd invite the neighbors outside with this chorus:
He would call for his neighbors to join him in singing this song:
Oh, come out you black and tans,
Oh, you British soldiers and police officers, known as the Black and Tans,
Come out and fight me like a man
Come and face me in a fair fight, instead of using your power against unarmed civilians.
Show your wives how you won medals down in Flanders
Show off your medals earned in World War I and your perceived heroism to your wives,
Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,
Tell them about how the Irish Republican Army (IRA) forced you to retreat in fear,
From the green and lovely lanes in Killashandra.
From the beautiful countryside in Killashandra, where the Irish people were fighting for freedom.
Come let me hear you tell
Come and share your stories with us,
How you slammed the great Pernell,
How you defeated the Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell,
When you fought them well and truly persecuted,
When you fought against and oppressed the Irish people,
Where are the smears and jeers
Where are the insults and criticisms you used to mock us,
That you bravely let us hear
That you confidently and mockingly expressed to us,
When our heroes of sixteen were executed.
When our sixteen revolutionaries were killed by the British government for rising up against their cruelty.
Come tell us how you slew
Come and share with us how you bravely killed,
Those brave Arabs two by two
Referring to the British campaigns in the Middle East where they killed Arabs in large numbers,
Like the Zulus they had spears and bows and arrows,
Like the British tactics against the Zulu nation who were fighting with traditional weapons such as spears and bows and arrows,
How you bravely slew each one
How you bravely killed every one of them,
With your sixteen pounder gun
With the powerful guns of the British military,
And you frightened them poor natives to their marrow.
And you instilled fear in the hearts of the native people.
The day is coming fast
The day of reckoning is approaching,
And the time is here at last,
And the moment of truth has finally arrived,
When each yeoman will be cast aside before us,
When every foot soldier of the British crown will be crushed by us,
And if there be a need
And if the situation requires it,
Sure my kids will sing, "Godspeed!"
My children will sing with joy and pride as we continue to fight for Irish freedom,
With a verse or two of Steven Beehan's chorus.
Using a popular Irish song by Steven Beehan to express our unyielding determination in the face of British oppression.
Contributed by Kylie P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.