I’ll be Leaving Shortly

1.My name is Ivo de Grandmesnil
Ivo the Ropedancer is the name that I bear
With a shrug of the shoulders in true Gallic style
I’ll slide down that rope and bid you adieu

2.My father e came over with William the Bastard
And in lands and possessions got is recompense
Together with all those other Norman Bastards
To coin a phrase if you’ll excuse my French.

In these fortifications I ‘ave every confidence
And we’ve all been blessed by his Highness the Pope
But I’ve just remembered an important engagement
So I’ve got to go shortly and slide down that rope

La, la ,la...

3.I kept my nose clean under William the Red
But when e met hees end I backed the wrong ‘orse
You could just say it was an error of judgement
With Robert the Shortarse I plotted a course.

4.Now Robert e said “I’ll be right there behind you”,
We’re in this together I’m a man of my word but
Bought off by King Henry he sailed back to Normandy,
Left me up tyo ze neck in a big heap of merde

In these fortifications I ‘ave every confidence
And we’ve all been blessed by his Highness the Pope
But I’ve just remembered an important engagement
So I’ve got to go shortly and slide down that rope

La, la, ,la...

5. And so to avoid the wrath of King Henry,
I went off the the Holy Land armed with great zeal,
But at the siege of Antioch I blew it big time,
Alas for Ivo de Granmesnil

6. And so adieu to my lands and companions,
To Sir Roger de Courcy who likes his nooky bear,
Although he didn’t live till a hundred years later,
He’s funny so decided to stick ‘im in here.


In these fortifications I ‘ave every confidence
And we’ve all been blessed by his Highness the Pope
But I’ve just remembered an important engagement
So I’ve got to go shortly and slide down that rope

J’ai tout confiance en ces fortifications,
Nos avons tous ete bene par le Pape , mais alors
Je viens de me rappeler que j’ai un rendezvous important
Ainsi j’ai besoin d’;aller glisser dur cette corde.

La, la, la...(x2)