Heroic sheepdogs deserve more than one song. So here is another tune about that scrawny rascal Ruff! And there may be more to come!
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Image credit: salpics32 / 123RF Stock Photo
About the song
Best sung to Dublin in the Rare Auld Times, here in a version by them ever-lovely hobbits in The Dubliners. Me own version was first performed at Green Dragon Friday on November 9th 2012.
Of course, ol' Ruff already has a song. So why another one? Well, I still plan ter dig out the next Ruff story, not least because the last one ended with a slight cliffhanger of sorts (if yer can use that term fer someone stuck way down below the ground). It takes a little time uncovering that story, though (pouts), because there are just so many other things ter do in LOTRO (cheers)
But I still have lots of ideas for possible tales fer Ruff, both silly and whimsical and heroic and exciting. After all, he's ever so slightly inspired by El-ahrairah from Watership Down (one of me all-time favourite books). Possibly with an unhealthy dose of Tom Bombadil tossed in as well. So he's good fun ter write stuff about, the old Ruffian, and a few song lyrics are much quicker ter write than full-fledged stories.
So I thought I would pick a tune which I could use as a base for short Ruff tales, and Rare Auld Times seemed ter fit the bill nicely. As the weeks go by, there may be updated versions of this tune, where I keep the first and last verse, but change them verses in the middle. We'll see how it goes!
In the meantime, enjoy this one! And sing along to the chorus!
His name is Ruff, part 1
Once there was a hero In them fields of green He was ever smart and clever No sharper we have seen He is old and grey now His days of prime are gone But the locals won't forget him And all he has done
He is old and scruffy But he's tough enough He was born in Brockenborings His name is Ruff
Once he met a badger Deep below the earth Ruff was thirsty, cold and hungry He lived his days of dearth The badger asked him over Then fed him plates of stew And it ended with a mugful Of badgery brew
When Ruff was warm and merry The badger told him tales Of the wicked shrews on Greenfields The ones with icky tails So Ruff he barked his loudest The shrews they ran away And the badgers cheered their hero This dog was okay
He is old and scruffy But he's tough enough He was born in Brockenborings His name is Ruff
Once he chased a goblin All along the stream And he ripped the goblin's pants off It made the froggies scream The pants looked stiff and sturdy So Ruff he found some logs And he made a boat with pant sails To comfort them frogs
He is old and scruffy But he's tough enough He was born in Brockenborings His name is Ruff
Now he sleeps all morning And he sleeps all night But the daytime is is favourite When everything is right The local children love him He plays upon the rug And his lassie lies beside him She keeps him snug
He is old and scruffy But he's tough enough He was born in Brockenborings His name is Ruff
He is old and scruffy But he's tough enough He was born in Brockenborings His name is Ruff
More songs
Yer can read the lyrics to me other songs right here!