At the Buchanan Saturnalia party today, we were treated to the annual Family Sing-Along where the whole pack (troop ? cast ? murder ? parcel ? pride ? unkindness ?) of them gather under the Yule Tree in an impromptu choir to belt out the old Family Anthem, accompanied by an orchestra of servants, retainers, villeins and slaves.
It's quite amusing, so we took down the lyrics to share with other halfbakers on this festive day:
You'll have heard of the Buchanan family, With their hist'ry so long, dark and grim, But it's certain they're all born survivors, My God, how the money rolls in ! The Phoenicians came sailing to Cornwall, To trade for the valuable tin But were swindled by one Chief Buchano, My God, how the money rolled in ! When Claudius landed in England His prospects of conquest were slim, He bought help from a Celt, King Buchanus, My God, how the money rolled in ! St. Augustine, he came to help pagans, And good Christian converts to win, The Buchanans, they housed and fed pilgrims, My God, how the money rolled in ! The first Earl was friends with Duke William, Though the English bought arrows from him, Like the one that did in poor King Harold ... My God, how the money rolled in ! When the Lion-Heart went off crusading, He took Duke Buchanan with him, A byword for theft, rape and pillage ... My God, how the money rolled in ! King John was a fool and a spendthrift, And "lost" his crown jewels near King's Lynn, From the care of a certain - Buchanan ... My God, how the money rolled in ! King Richard was scuppered at Bosworth, A battle he thought he could win, A Buchanan, he stole his last gee-gee, My God, how the money rolled in ! King Hal wanted rid of the Catholics He sold all their stuff to his kin, Through a helpful old lord called Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! Queen Liz faced the Spanish Armada, Whose cannon were cast much too thin, By a gunfounder known as Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! The Scottish Queen Mary was Catholic, But her son was a Protestant grim, ‘Cos his tutor was one George Buchanan … *, My God, how the money rolled in ! The clan all did well when King James came, They made lots of cash under him, Through wholesaling dodgy gunpowder ... My God, how the money rolled in ! King Charles, he was chased by the Roundheads, But a devious Lord sheltered him, The family name was Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! Then Puritans came, under Cromwell, They tried to eradicate sin, But they reckoned without the Buchanans, My God, how the money rolled in ! Charles Two had an eye for the ladies, Like Miss Walter and young Nellie Gwynne, And a certain young Lady Buchanan ... My God, how the money rolled in ! William of Orange, and Mary Came safely ashore at Newlyn, And were met by young Viscount Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! King George, he went as mad as a hatter, But recovered when they treated him, With pills made by a Doctor Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! The Prince Regent was truly a glutton, He shoveled the food and drink in, All supplied by his agents, Buchanan's My God, how the money rolled in ! When Boney was marching through Europe, At Waterloo he cried out "Fin !" When betrayed by an aide - called Buchanan ... My God, how the money rolled in ! Now Shelley was reckoned a hero But sadly he just couldn't swim In that lifejacket, sold by Buchanan's My God, how the money rolled in ! George Stephenson struggled with patents They just never got granted to him, Unlike his young helper, Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! Queen Vicky was married to Albert, They both were quite partial to gin, Supplied by a firm called Buchanan's My God, how the money rolled in ! The Light Brigade charged at the Russians, But their chances of living were slim, Wielding tin swords, all forged by Buchanan's My God, how the money rolled in ! Now, Gladstone was terribly moral, So he strove to save women from sin, And Buchanan (who owned all their leases) ... My God, how the money rolled in ! The ship that sank USS Congress, Oh, it cheated in order to win, Commanded by Franklin Buchanan ** My God, how the money rolled in ! When Confederates clamored for rifles, A ship came in, full to the brim, Sneaked in by one Captain Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! With Paris besieged by the Prussians, Impressionist art was their thing, The Buchanans bought pictures for pennies, My God, how the Manets rolled in ... The Brits fought a war against Dutchmen, The gold and the diamonds to win, But the Boers never went short of bullets ... My God, how the money rolled in ! The Prince, who at last was King Edward, Favoured ladies with vigour and vim, All procured by his mate Lord Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! George the Fifth, he of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Dumped his Boche-sounding name in the bin, When advised by his lawyer, Buchanan My God, how the money rolled in ! Al Capone made a fortune from liquor, It was tax fraud that got him turned in, His accountant ? A man called Buchanan … My God, how the money rolled in ! Edward VIII was enamoured of someone, Who wasn’t the right girl for him, But Buchanan fixed up all the papers, My God, how the money rolled in ! For Adolph, the war ended badly, In a bunker in central Berlin, A Buchanan had sold him a pistol … My God, how the money rolled in ! JFK was a little bit naughty, With a pretty girl called Marylin, All fixed up by a friend called Buchanan, My God, how the money rolled in ! So, don’t deal with those tricky Buchanans, They’ll swindle you just on a whim, And Maxwell is one of the baddest, My God, how the money rolls in ! *This is actually true. ** This is actually true too. -- 8th of 7, Dec 25 2019 I was going to say our legal team will be in touch, but they're all taking Christmas off.
So it'll just be Vinnie.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 25 2019 Ah, the "illegal team" ...
Still, in this season of good cheer, we suspect that we can persuade him to refrain from direct action until at least the 2nd of January. We have replicated a few dozen crates of the Intercalary's favourite tipple for him - that should keep him happy until tomorrow at least...-- 8th of 7, Dec 25 2019 How much do you use your knees, in general, [8th]?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 25 2019 Not a lot; more a sort of "nice to have" than an essential.
Why did you give Vinnie another pickaxe handle for Christmas, by the way ? He has racks of them already; a splendid collection, and unusual, but to be honest we can't see there's much difference between them.
Apart, of course, from the blood spatter patterns. You'd think he'd want to wipe them clean before it soaks into the wood - to preclude forensic analysis, if nothing else.-- 8th of 7, Dec 25 2019 Here's the start of another song that explains this one.... "T'was on the good ship Venus, that 8th first saw Max's penis..... "-- xenzag, Dec 25 2019 Thanks for that, altho it's not historically accurate. But we wil post the song we have written about you first, [xen].
You should, of course, feel honoured by the accolade. Think of it like an Academy Award, but one that insults you in front of your friend* and family.
*We refer to your imaginary friend - surveillance clearly shows that you don't have any actual human friends. No, the man from Ocado who delivers your groceries doesn't count,-- 8th of 7, Dec 25 2019 //another pickaxe handle for Christmas// He's sentimental. He likes to retire the really good ones and just look at them.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 25 2019 By the way, I would like to say that I am deeply honoured, and when it happens I will.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 25 2019 Wow, that's all I can say...wowsie.-- blissmiss, Dec 25 2019 This explains a lot. About both of you! Also, I found this verse on a scrunched up piece of very ancient newspaper in an old tin of Rentisham's. It was written over the top of a headline about impeachment. I never really understood it because I thought Lincoln was shot by some bloke in a theatre, not blown up by a bomb. But now it all makes sense. The slave states fell out with the Union. For failing to let Kansas in. The incumbent* left Lincoln a time bomb For the Buchanans, the money rolled in! *James Buchanan, 15th president of the United States.-- DrBob, Dec 26 2019 yep, arguably the worst US President for failing to head off the civil war.-- theircompetitor, Dec 26 2019 What have you been drinking lately, [8th of 7], that has brought forth so much lyrical expression?-- neutrinos_shadow, Dec 27 2019 Vinnie just calls it "The Stuff" ...-- 8th of 7, Dec 27 2019 random, halfbakery