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."
Johnny Jump Up
Brobdingnagian Bards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day as I went down to Cork by the sea
The sun it was hot and the day it was warm,
Says I a quiet pint wouldn't do me no harm
I went in and I called for a bottle of stout
Says the barman, I'm sorry, all the beer is sold out
Try whiskey or paddy, ten years in the wood
Oh never, Oh never, Oh never again
If I live to be a hundred or a hundred and ten
I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up
After drinking a quart of the Johnny Jump Up
After downing the third I went out to the yard
Where I bumped into Brody, the big civic guard
Come here to me boy, don't you know I'm the law?
Well, I up with me fist and I shattered his jaw
He fell to the ground with his knees doubled up
But it wasn't I hit him, 'twas Johnny Jump Up
The next thing I remember down in Cork by the sea
Was a cripple on crutches and says he to me
I'm afraid of me life I'll be hit by a car
Won't you help me across to the Celtic Knot Bar?
After downing a quart of that cider so sweet
He threw down his crutches and danced on his feet
I went up the lee road, a friend for to see
They call it the madhouse in Cork by the Sea
Butl when I got there, sure the truth I will tell,
They had this poor bugger locked up in a cell
Said the guard, testing him, say these words if you
Can,
"Around the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran"
Tell him I'm not crazy, tell him I'm not mad
It was only a sip of the bottle I had
Well, a man died in the mines by the name of McNabb
They washed him and laid him outside on the slab
And after the parlors measurements did take
His wife brought him home to a bloody fine wake
Twas about 12 o'clock and the beer was high
The corpse sits up and says with a sigh
I can't get to heaven, they won't let me up
Til I bring them a quart of the Johnny Jump Up
So if ever you go down to Cork by the sea
Stay out of the ale house and take it from me
If you want to stay sane don't you dare take a sup
Of that devil drink cider called Johnny Jump Up
The song Johnny Jump Up, written by the Brobdingnagian Bards, describes a comical and somewhat cautionary tale of a man's experience after drinking a quart of cider named Johnny Jump Up. The singer begins his day with intentions of having a peaceful pint, but after finding that the beer supply is sold out, he decides to try the cider. The consequences are severe, as he falls to the ground and cannot get up. The third verse describes the singer getting into a scuffle with a police officer, and while he believed that he caused the officer's injuries, it was actually the Johnny Jump Up. The fourth verse is about the singer helping a cripple get across the street, and when the cider makes its way to the crippled man, he throws down his crutches and dances. In the fifth verse, the singer visits the "madhouse," and he discovers that a man who could not recite a tongue twister was locked up because of Johnny Jump Up. The final part of the song recounts the tale of McNabb, who died in the mines and could not enter heaven until he brings God himself a quart of Johnny Jump Up.
The song is a classic Irish drinking song and is generally understood as a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol. The song is also likely intended to be humorous, as evidenced by the comical tales of the various characters involved. Additionally, the song describes how people in the past would be locked up in sanitariums for drinking too much.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you a story that happened to me
Let me recount an experience that occurred to me
One day as I went down to Cork by the sea
On a particular day when I was traveling to Cork by the seaside
The sun it was hot and the day it was warm,
It was quite sunny with warm weather conditions
Says I a quiet pint wouldn't do me no harm
I thought to myself, a peaceful glass of beer wouldn't hurt
I went in and I called for a bottle of stout
I entered a tavern and requested for a bottle of beer
Says the barman, I'm sorry, all the beer is sold out
The bartender apologized and told me that all the beer had been sold out
Try whiskey or paddy, ten years in the wood
He suggested I try some aged whiskey or paddy
Says I, I'll try cider, I've heard it was good.
I decided to have a go at cider as I had heard it was an excellent drink
Oh never, Oh never, Oh never again
Never again, never again, never again
If I live to be a hundred or a hundred and ten
Even if I live a century or more
I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up
I tumbled to the floor and couldn't get back up
After drinking a quart of the Johnny Jump Up
As a result of drinking a quart-sized glass of Johnny Jump Up cider
After downing the third I went out to the yard
Having consumed three pints, I went to the yard
Where I bumped into Brody, the big civic guard
Where I collided with Brody, the large civil guard
Come here to me boy, don't you know I'm the law?
Hey there, don't you realize I am the law?
Well, I up with me fist and I shattered his jaw
I raised my fist and broke his jaw with it
He fell to the ground with his knees doubled up
He crashed onto the floor with his knees folded
But it wasn't I hit him, 'twas Johnny Jump Up
It wasn't me that punched him, it was the Johnny Jump Up drink
The next thing I remember down in Cork by the sea
The next memory I have was back in Cork by the seaside
Was a cripple on crutches and says he to me
There I saw a physically challenged man using crutches, and he said to me
I'm afraid of me life I'll be hit by a car
I'm scared I'll get struck by a vehicle and lose my life
Won't you help me across to the Celtic Knot Bar?
Can you please be of assistance by escorting me to the Celtic Knot Bar?
After downing a quart of that cider so sweet
Following the consumption of sweet Johnny Jump Up cider
He threw down his crutches and danced on his feet
He tossed aside his crutches and danced on his feet
I went up the lee road, a friend for to see
I proceeded to the lee road to meet a friend
They call it the madhouse in Cork by the Sea
It's referred to as the mental institution in Cork by the Sea
But when I got there, sure the truth I will tell,
But upon arriving there, to be honest with you,
They had this poor bugger locked up in a cell
They had detained this unfortunate fellow in a cell
Said the guard, testing him, say these words if you can,
The guard demanded that he recite a particular phrase to prove his sanity
"Around the rugged rock, the ragged rascal ran"
"A rough rogue ran around the harsh rock"
Tell him I'm not crazy, tell him I'm not mad
Convey to him that I'm not insane, make him understand
It was only a sip of the bottle I had
I only had a sip of the bottle
Well, a man died in the mines by the name of McNabb
There was a man named McNabb who died in the mines
They washed him and laid him outside on the slab
They washed his corpse and placed it outside
And after the parlors measurements did take
After they'd taken measurements in the parlor
His wife brought him home to a bloody fine wake
His wife took him home for a splendid wake
'Twas about 12 o'clock and the beer was high
It was around midnight, and the beer had flowed freely
The corpse sits up and says with a sigh
Suddenly, the corpse sits up and sighs
I can't get to heaven, they won't let me up
I'm not able to ascend to heaven since they won't allow me access
Til I bring them a quart of the Johnny Jump Up
Unless I provide them with a quart of Johnny Jump Up
So if ever you go down to Cork by the sea
Therefore, if you ever travel to Cork by the seaside
Stay out of the ale house and take it from me
Do not visit the tavern and take my advice
If you want to stay sane don't you dare take a sup
If you wish to remain sane, don't you dare have a taste
Contributed by Nora Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.