Friday, March 13, 2009



Roll out the knightcart

The other day, in a discussion about the re-introduction of knighthoods, Jim Anderton sought leave to table "a copy of the A R D Fairburn poem “On the Awarding of Knighthoods”, to be sung to the tune of “Waltzing Matilda”." This intrigued me, and I spent some time unsuccessfully googling to find it. I was unsuccessful - but fortunately Scoop has found a copy. It's not very good, but it is delightfully cynical:

Jack up! Jack up! Jack up the knightcart!
Who’ll come a-hunting a knighthood with me?
For I’ve always backed the Party up, it’s time I got a bloody gong —
Who’ll come a-hunting a knighthood with me?

[...]

Roll out the knightcart! Roll out the knightcart!
Who’ll come a-hunting a knighthood with me?
For we’ll get our bloody gongs now they’ve changed the bloody Government —
WHO’LL COME A-HUNTING A KNIGHTHOOD WITH ME?

Looks like some things never change.