Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Lilac Sunday Ballad

Lilac Sunday Ballad

Lilac Sunday Ballad

Twas on a Lilac Sunday
In the year of '86
Newtowne went out a-tourin'
With it's hankies and its sticks
Unto the Arboretum
Where they awaited their big chance
To impress the other Morris teams
With the Upton-on-Severn dance

Some went right and some went left
And some went up and down
Some were doing back to backs
And others doing rounds
Heads were knocked and knuckles smashed
And the audience they swore
they'd never seem a Morris team
Dance quite that way before
Dave Stryker was the number one
A brave and valiant lad
To dance impressive Morris
Was a passion that he had
He gave it a few seconds
And thought "what the hell"
Instead of calling figures
I'll just give a macho yell

Now Stryker's sense of Morris
It was second unto none
And it would have been impressive
Had the dance been smartly done
But he made one grievous error
Understandable but true
He thought if Newtowne danced a dance
It was a dance they knew

The men danced the first figure
And they danced it rather well
With their ribbons fluttering in the air
And the jingling of their bells
Then came the second figure
And they awaited Strkyer's call
And Dave threw back his head
And bellowed "Hanabuajall!"

But Dave was not discouraged
He didn't give up yet
He knew that deep down inside them
There was good stuff in this set
"Perhaps if I yell louder
They will get the right idea"
So when the next figure came around
He yelled "Mgzuhdea"

The men they were embarrassed
The men they were ashamed
But after several pints of beer
Their spirits they regained
They even forgave Stryker
But one thing has changed, it's true
When Newtowne dances Upton
Stryker dances number two
The ballad was written by Oren Rosenthal, a member
of long standing of the Newts (Newtowne Morris Men).EL

JY