Unknown - Old Rose And Crown Lyrics

The Old Rose and Crown
(Ian Robb)

chorus:
What have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west.

Come gather round friends, and I'll tell you a tale.
It's a story well known to all lovers of ale.
The old English pub, once a man's second home
Has been decked out by brewers in plastic and foam.

cho:
And the old wooden bar where the pumps filled your glass
Gives way to Formica and tanks full of gas.
The old landlord behind, once a man of good cheer
Just mumbles the price as he hands you your beer.
cho:

And where are the friends who would meet for a jar,
Or a good game of darts in the old public bar?
The dartboard is gone, in its place is a thing
Where you pull on the handle and lose all your tin.

cho:

But the worst of it all's what they've done to the beer.
With shandies and lagers that will make you feel queer.
For an arm and a leg, they will fill up your glass
With a half and half mixture of ullage and gas.
cho:

Recorded on Rose and Crown, Robb (Folk-Legacy)