![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
capri0mniOkay, here's a Child ballad of Robin Hood, that showed up in my YouTube subscription feed, yesterday afternoon. I have absolutely zero evidence that it inspired Mark Gatiss in writing "Robots of Sherwood," mind. But the adventure described in the lyrics sounds enough like a classic Doctor Who plot, that should Mr. Gatiss admit to it, I would not be in the least surprised.
As evidence, I present this excerpt from the lyrics:
(Quote -- spelling corrected)
(Unquote)
Now, does that, or does that not, sound like a classic Doctor Who foe and threat?
Here are the full lyrics, written out (from Wikisource): https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Child's_Ballads/129 (if you read all the way to the end, you'll see that this is one version of Robin Hood's story where his life as an outlaw comes to an end, and his life a respected nobleman resumes).
And here's the video of the song being sung, that popped up yesterday (I disagree with his rhyming choices in a spot or two, but it's still earworming me, anyway): https://youtu.be/JnrN2KiTsbw (about 11 minutes long).
---
As a side note, here's a video of "Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow," which is the chorus that Sarah Jane whistles as she walks away at the end of "Hand of Fear," (which might make it ironic, or simply a rounding out of her story arc, when the Doctor sends her a version of K-9 later): https://youtu.be/R45Eoi3ZeME
As evidence, I present this excerpt from the lyrics:
(Quote -- spelling corrected)
'Come, tell me the cause, thou pretty one,'
Quoth Robin, and tell me aright,
From whence thou comest, and whither thou goest,
All in this mournful plight?'
'From London I came,' the damsel reply'd,
'From London upon the Thames,
Which circled is, O grief to tell!
Besieg'd with foreign arms.
'By the proud Prince of Aragon,
Who swears by his martial hand
To have the princess for his spouse,
Or else to waste this land:
'Except that champions can be found
That dare fight three to three,
Against the prince and giants twain,
Most horrid for to see:
'Whose grisly looks, and eyes like brands,
Strike terror where they come,
With serpents hissing on their helms,
Instead of feathered plume.
(Unquote)
Now, does that, or does that not, sound like a classic Doctor Who foe and threat?
Here are the full lyrics, written out (from Wikisource): https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Child's_Ballads/129 (if you read all the way to the end, you'll see that this is one version of Robin Hood's story where his life as an outlaw comes to an end, and his life a respected nobleman resumes).
And here's the video of the song being sung, that popped up yesterday (I disagree with his rhyming choices in a spot or two, but it's still earworming me, anyway): https://youtu.be/JnrN2KiTsbw (about 11 minutes long).
---
As a side note, here's a video of "Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow," which is the chorus that Sarah Jane whistles as she walks away at the end of "Hand of Fear," (which might make it ironic, or simply a rounding out of her story arc, when the Doctor sends her a version of K-9 later): https://youtu.be/R45Eoi3ZeME
