A huge problem for adventurous hobbits is to escape the dangers of the Shire!
About the song
Best sung to the melody of Bruce Springsteen’s “This Hard Land” (hear it below), this was a reasonably quick song to write once I decided which story to tell. That took a fair bit of time, though. I always wanted to write a heroic adventure song, about a hobbit who travels through Middle-Earth and has lots of exciting fun before returning to the Shire. As you can see below, the adventure took a slightly different turn once I started writing.
The song was first performed at Green Dragon Friday on July 15 2016.
If you’d want to see more of my song lyrics, have a look in me songbook!
Lyrics: Grand Hobbit Adventure Song
Come here hobbits
Let me tell you a story from our northern lands
Where a young lad woke one day
Felt the need to go out of bounds
“I’ll go far away to see the sights
“Adventure is calling me on
“Dwarrows and elves, menfolk too
“Waiting for me far from my Shire home”
Early one morning
He set off with eager strides
Whistling and humming
Through the lush green countryside
Finding food inside his pack
Eating on his own
Soon all his rations were gone, no nibbles or crumbs left
He hadn’t even gone from his Shire home
Up ahead a warm and cozy inn
Serving food all day
So the lad went in and ordered a pie
“Bring more ’til I had my way”
The plates kept piling up, so did mugs
Drinking that ale with the earthen foam
Soon he felt rather tired, he just had to snooze
Safe and sound in his Shire home
After hours of sleeping
He woke up looking for a morsel to eat
It was time for tea and pastries
Clotted cream and scones sweet
“Add a dash of brandy into my cup of tea, sir
“After all I still have far to roam”
With a generous splash, perhaps even two or three
Moods were high but his legs were done
“I best sit here a while longer, gather my bearings
“Have a little rest in my Shire home”
Through the evening, through next morning
And through the days and weeks that lay ahead
Always one more meal to conquer
Always one more slice of bread
He’s sitting there still, getting his fill
His adventure dreams have gone
Instead he praises the Shire, raises his mugs up high
And he says
No place is as grand as my Shire home
This hard land
Springsteen has made various recordings of This Hard Land over the years. This one is my favourite.
Bruce Springsteen – This Hard Land