The Rare Old Times
The Rare Old Times
Sung in G
Raised on songs and stories
Heroes of renown
The passing tales and glories
That once was
The hallowed halls and houses
The haunting children’s rhymes
That once was part of Goblin
In the rare old times
Ring a ring a rosey
As the light declines
I remember
In the rare old times
Well me name it is Hans Archkey
As Goblin as can be
Born hard and late in
In a house that ceased to be
By trade I was a cooper
Lost out to redundancy
But my house, it fell to progress
My trade’s a memory
Ring a ring a rosey
As the light declines
I remember
In the rare old times
I courted Nina Digstone
Pretty as you please
A roving child of daring
From the rebel Libertines
I lost her to a student chap
With skin as black as coal
When he took her off to Leaden Hills
Well he took away my soul
Ring a ring a rosey
As the light declines
I remember
In the rare old times
Now the years have made me bitter
The gargle dims me brain
‘Cause Goblin keeps on changing
And nothing seems the same
The pillar and the Met have gone
The royals since pulled down
As this gray, unyielding progress
Makes a city of my town
Ring a ring a rosey
As the light declines
I remember
In the rare old times
Fare thee well sweet children
I can no longer stay
And watch the new brass cages
That spring up along the quay
My mind’s too full of memories
Too old to hear new chimes
I’m a part of what was Goblin
In the rare old times
Ring a ring a rosey
As the light declines
I remember
In the rare old times
I remember
In the rare old times
Notes: This is another common song heard in Furnace Town. It can be sung uptempo or more slowly, though the faster versions are more popular.
Ring a ring a rosey is a children’s game, which makes the chorus intentionally haunting.