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The Swaggering Yobbos - 1381 Poll Tax Blues

from Guru (Album) by Ian Hanchet

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about

One of my ancestors was beheaded as a result of his participating in this rebellion.

lyrics

Oh, the 14th century was a very rough age
unless clothes of silk was what you wore
on top of plague, famine and war, they want to tax us even more
But We’re not going to take it any more

how much you going to bleed us for you bastards
how much you going to take from us in taxes
how much you going to bleed us for you bastards
We’re not going to take it anymore

John Ball had a dream in which every human being
was an equal and shared the bounty of the land
where the rich became aware of the people in their care
Who felt the balance of wealth was unfair

how much you going to bleed us for you bastards?..

"When Adam delved and …Eve span
Who was then the gentleman?"
who made you king and me an underling?
I’m not going to bow to you no more

how much you going to bleed us for you bastards?....



silly king Richard was only fourteen
he never ever learned to play nice
they did his sums while he twiddled his thumbs and he
followed all their bad advice

they said tax em once, tax em once again
take away their milk, take away their grain
we need more money to pay for more war
the treasury’s weakened, better tax em some more

how much you going to bleed us for you bastards?.....

At only twenty two John Hanchauch, to be true
Led some men on up to Cambridge town
These men had no fear, and their mission was clear
Find the manors of their foes and burn them down



John’s future had been shining bright before him
at twenty years of age, he’d just been wed
But he couldn’t stand the rules of these aristocratic fools
And in just two years he’d lost his head

Henry DeSpencer, fighting bishop for the king
Needed somebody to fail
Dispenser of “justice” ordered the axe
And Hanchauch’s head fell in the pail.

how much you going to bleed us for you bastards
how much you going to take from us in taxes
how much you going to bleed us for you bastards
We’re not going to take it anymore

how much you going to bleed us for you bastards
Headless men can’t pay taxes
how much you going to bleed us for you bastards
You’ll get nothing from me anymore

credits

from Guru (Album), track released August 13, 2022

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Ian Hanchet Montreal, Québec

Ian Hanchet is a graduate of the Jazz program at Concordia University and the Music education program at McGill University and is currently living in Montreal and teaching Music with the English Montreal School Board. He performs regularly in cafés and bars in and around Montreal. ... more

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