Now perhaps you’ve learned of Leicester’s famous prodigy,
One Daniel Lambert, Leicester’s BFG,
Whose fame has stretched to places far and wide,
In Legends 1 his story is described.
This you can access this very easily
by buying the Legends part 1 CD.
Now in part 2, our very next musical theme,
Will take us to the opposite extreme.
From large to little will be our sharp contrast
“So who could that be?” so I hear you ask.
A mere eighteen inches tall this fellow stood, (20cm)
Though scaled in each proportion fair and good.
One Jeffrey Hudson, born in Oakham town,
But for celebrity inevitably bound,
When the Duke of Buckingham’s favour he then found.
Then by the Queen achieved his great ambition,
Became a must have acquisition.
When stepping boldly from a steaming pie
In mini suit of armour caught the royal eye.
In the Civil War a captain bold was he,
Part of King Charles’s cavalry.
But one day stupidly a duel he fought,
Killed a man and was exiled from the court,
Thereafter suffered many narrow scrapes
From which he managed to escape,
Including being held in slavery
To pirates from the coast of Barbary,
And when released from this unfortunate plight,
Appeared to have doubled in his height.
But left to us at last a legacy
In that fine pint of beer called JHB.
lyrics
Multum in Parvo
1. Oi, allo! You, over ‘ere,
Nah, not up there, mate, I’m down ‘ere,
Are you blind, can you not see?
Look, I’m just level with the nobbles on your knee,
I’m only little, just a titch,
That’s me, I’m Tom Thumb.
2. Well, I was once in a cake
For the King and his merry mates;
When I popped out they nearly died,
The dear old Queen ‘ow she screeched, ‘ow she cried!
“Ooh, can I ‘ave ‘im, e’s so cute?
He’s Tom Thumb”
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum, multum, multum in parvo
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum in parvo.
3. I went to war, all on me ‘oss,
A fierce knight I was, I won of course,
They ran away, they tried to flee,
But I ‘acked and chopped their legs off at the knee,
I may ‘ave been little, but I was fierce,
Me, Tom Thumb
4. Jeffrey ‘Udson, that is me name,
18 inches me claim to fame,
I was born in Oakham Town,
I was a man of very great renown,
I may ‘ave been little, but I was cute,
I was Tom Thumb
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum, multum, multum in parvo
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum in parvo.
5. I went to sea, all on them waves,
‘Til those pirates took me to be their slave,
20 years, I was free,
But I’d grown twice the man that I used to be,
But I was still little, just 3 foot high
I was still Tom Thumb
6. Repeat verse 1
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum, multum, multum in parvo
Multum, multum multum in parvo
Multum in parvo.
I write both serious and comedy songs. 6 solo CDs to date and collaborations with Steve Cartwright -"Legends of
Leicester/Leicestershire". "All at Sea" shantyish album. Folk based for the most part - when people ask where the ideas come from I can say with honesty -"not drugs!!".. Currently working on a new album "Aspects of Lurve" hopefully out later in 2024....more
