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 The Ballad of Jack Cade

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alj
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alj


Number of posts : 9633
Registration date : 2008-12-05
Age : 80
Location : San Antonio

The Ballad of Jack Cade Empty
PostSubject: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 09, 2009 9:19 am

(Briny Devlin is a character in my book, And Adam was a Gardener.)

THE BALLAD OF JACK CADE

He was just a simple fall guy
To the leaders of his time.
Jack Cade was his name;
Wantin' freedom was his crime.

The reignin' king was Henry,
The sixth to have that name.
He didn't ask to be a king,
And he wasn't to good at the game.

Nine months old when his father died,
His uncles all vied for control,
And England was caught up in civil strife
As they warred over Henry's soul.

Then there was Richard, the Duke of York
Who joined into the fray.
Now, Richard saw life as a game of cards
And he knew how to play.

Old Jack had become a soldier
While his country was at war,
And Richard saw him Fightin' hard
And knew he had a star

Now Richard of York was bidin' his time,
Waitin' to call his hand
He managed to con Old Jack
Into formin' and leadin' the band.

A band of common cutthroats
Like "Jack the Butcher," who swore
If he could help make Cade a king,
That law would rule the land no more.

The king had a man named Stafford,
And they say he once told Jack
"Your father made his livin' layin' bricks.
You're no fit king. You'd best turn back."

"And Adam was a gardener,"
Was Jack Cade's quick reply.
"I'm as good a man as Henry,
And it's Henry's time to die."

So he led his rabble into London,
And the people cheered him for a while,
But Jack and his men didn't know when to stop,
And the blood ran for a mile.

And the people turned away,
And Jack was cornered in the end.
He died in a garden called Iden,
All alone and without a friend.

Then Richard of York, he played his hand
For he saw the time was nigh.
Old Jack had set the stage
And Chaos was ridin' high.

They called it The War of the Roses,
A funny name for a war
Poor Jack just got caught in the middle.
I guess that's the way most wars are.

The Roses kept on fightin'
The White against the Red
By the time it finally ended,
A lot more good men like Jack were dead.

And England was the loser,
Disorder won the day.
When the rulers lose sight of the people.
It’s always the people who pay

by Briny Devlin


(Jack Cade was a real individual, whose story was retold by William Shakespeare, in The 2nd Part of King Henry the Sixth.)

Ann


Last edited by alj on Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:56 am; edited 1 time in total
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Brenda Hill
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Number of posts : 1297
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Location : Southern CA

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PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 09, 2009 11:18 am

I'm not a big poetry fan, Ann, but this is great. I loved the story, loved how you told it.

Good job! The Ballad of Jack Cade 613632
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alj
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alj


Number of posts : 9633
Registration date : 2008-12-05
Age : 80
Location : San Antonio

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PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 09, 2009 12:42 pm

Thanks Brenda. I had fun adopting the persona. It helped me figure out his character, and of course, kept me from having to worry about copyright laws.

Ann
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
Registration date : 2008-01-11
Location : UK

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PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 09, 2009 1:54 pm

Very good! *Editor's hat*

And he wasn't to good at the game.

And he wasn't too good at the game.

Then there was Richard, the Duke of York
Who joined into the fray.


Then there was Richard, the Duke of York,
Who joined in the fray.

And knew he had a star

And knew he had a star.

Like "Jack the Butcher," who swore
If he could help make Cade a king,
That law would rule the land no more.


Like "Jack the Butcher," who swore
That if he could help make Cade a king,
Law would rule the land no more.

And the people turned away,
And Jack was cornered in the end.
He died in a garden called Iden,
All alone and without a friend.

When the people turned away,
Jack was cornered in the end.
He died in the Garden of Iden,
All alone and without a friend.

They called it The War of the Roses,
A funny name for a war
Poor Jack just got caught in the middle.
I guess that's the way most wars are.

They called it The War of the Roses,
A funny name for a war.
Poor Jack just got caught in the middle;
I guess that's the way most wars are.

The Roses kept on fightin'
The White against the Red

The counties* kept on fightin'
The White against the Red.

*(Could be "Houses" -- House of York v House of Lancaster)

And England was the loser,
Disorder won the day.
When the rulers lose sight of the people.
It’s always the people who pay


And England was the loser;
Disorder won the day.
When rulers lose sight of the people,
The people are the ones who pay.
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alj
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alj


Number of posts : 9633
Registration date : 2008-12-05
Age : 80
Location : San Antonio

The Ballad of Jack Cade Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 09, 2009 5:31 pm

Thanks, Shelagh. Part of the situation has to do with my scanning an old dot-matrix hard copy into my computer. I lost the old computer files when I moved to SA. There are still some errors I haven't fixed.

Some of the changes have to do with differences between UK and Redneck English. How did Henry Higgins say it? In America they haven't uttered it[English] for years.
But you've given me some good advice. I appreciate it.

Ann
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alj
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alj


Number of posts : 9633
Registration date : 2008-12-05
Age : 80
Location : San Antonio

The Ballad of Jack Cade Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyTue Mar 10, 2009 5:30 am

You're right, Marie, and Shelagh, I hope I didn't give the impression that I wasn't going to use your advice. The changes you suggested are good changes. How much I change will come down to deciding, since the song provides an explanation for the title of the book, and will be one of the first things the reader reads, if I ought to write it as Briny would have, or as it ought to be.

Think that last sentence was long enough? scratch

Ann
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


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PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyTue Mar 10, 2009 7:01 am

Hi Ann,

Suggestions are to make people think not to make them change things they are happy with. In fact, a rejected suggestion is almost as helpful as an accepted one. By rejecting the advice, you know in your own mind exactly what it is you are trying to say. The seed of doubt that the reader doesn't understand may prompt you to make a change yourself. Editors should not be allowed the final word. The author always knows best.
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E. Don Harpe
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Number of posts : 1979
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Age : 82
Location : Florida

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PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 23, 2009 10:41 am

I will sometimes vary in my meter and my syllable count, but only rarely. When writing songs it is important to have each verst sing alike, and the easiest way to do this it so watch your syllables.

Such as

IIIIIIIIII
IIIIIII
IIIIIIIIII
IIIIIII

This would be, probably, an A B C B rhyme pattern, but in a song could be an A B A B pattern. Note that the first and third lines have the same number of syllables, as do the second and fourth. Makes in more melodic when it's sung, don't cha know.
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zadaconnaway
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Location : Washington, USA

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PostSubject: Re: The Ballad of Jack Cade   The Ballad of Jack Cade EmptyMon Mar 23, 2009 5:04 pm

Ann, I think it is great with or without changes.
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