Leslie Fish - Bashing The Balrog

[@gnaskar]

To summarize, this started as a poem called Dane-geld, published in 1911. It was meant as a criticism of modern British foreign policy in the guise of a history lesson ("Come on, guys, we learned that paying off people who threaten us is a bad plan over a millennia ago, why are you still making this mistake"). Leslie Fish put it to music in an album released in 1985. Bob Kanefsky wrote DnD themed parody lyrics that song, then got Leslie Fish to sing them for him in this cassette release. Then in 2011, a century after the story started, it got published to KZbin.

[@Finsirith]

Yes, that's half of the story--Leslie Fish set Kipling's "Danegeld" to music. Meanwhile/elsewhere, Lee Gold took the song "Waltzing Matilda" and wrote lyrics about a D&D party, titled "You Bash the Balrog (and I'll Climb the Tree)". Bob Kanefsky took BOTH of those songs (the story from Lee Gold, and the music/format from Leslie Fish) and turned it into this masterpiece of parody. (The crowning touch, of course, was having Leslie herself perform it.)

[@dragishawk9564]

This is so a gamer song. If only more adventuring parties would learn not to mess with things way out of their league.

[@orangemikelowrey520]

Leslie Fish is part of an ancient SF fandom tradition called "filk music" or "filking"; if you attend SF conventions (real, fan-run, not-for-profit conventions, not the commercial shows like Dragon*Con or SanDiegoComicCon), you'll find there are likely to be filk sings going on Friday and/or Saturday night, with most of the singers just fans like yourself.

[@Shan_Dalamani]

There's another filk, to the tune of "Waltzing Mathilda" called "You Bash the Balrog and I'll Climb a Tree." It's cute.

[@CarpeMetus]

I just found Leslie Fish and songs about being a geek! Why isn't this mainstream!

[@dragonkingofthestars]

LEROY JENKINS APPROVES!

[@epicsakura101]

This is beautiful! 'Tis rare indeed, to find a gem such as this. I wonder how many more dungeons I shall have to grind through before I might chance upon another such as this. ;)

[@Evilnor7]

It's not mainstream because it's old, basically. Leslie Fish is well-known in her circles (mostly SCA as far as I know). The tune itself is a Kipling poem set to music (of which she's done several) about "Paying the Dane-Geld," but the words are original. It's like Weird Al's stuff, but older and acoustic. It's the sort of stuff you do because you enjoy it, not to become rich :)

[@kellyrayburn4093]

Never mess with a balrog. They have no sense of humor. Unless it's to see idiots screaming in fear. Thanks so much for sharing. I loved it.

[@shallandavarpainterofsouls9509]

people keep talking about the origins of this song while all the time I'm thinking about Lord of the rings.

[@jashloseher578]

The earliest version of d&d featured balrogs as monsters. Tolkien estate got mad, so they removed/renamed them.

[@robinbakerbarr496]

I used to have the tape, and every song is just as good. Wish I hadn't lost it!

[@lyllydd]

Me too. Mine died in the tape deck.

[@lyllydd]

Have you tried Bill Roper's booth at any conventions? He does have some older stuff, although he carries CDs only now.

[@SuperTheTheresa]

Yeah, this is totally lerooy jenkins song:D

[@bethanysmith5856]

i'm playing an adventure game online and this song came to mind

[@theyawningowlbear6758]

Oldie but a gaming goodie

[@sakieh]

Wiw....Leslie Fish parodied her own song!(Dane Geld)

[@CarpeMetus]

@senilist I'm just surfing from indy group to indy group on youtube they are all awesome! It's all them too not a giant machine to correct their voices or play the instruments for them.

[@Spamdude47]

this is the 100th video I gave a thumbs up to

[@robertmoore7153]

This is a song about Dungeons and Dragons - numerous references to in-game stuff. The game HAD Balrogs but they had to change them to "Balors" due to copyright reasons.

[@lyllydd]

Yeah, that's called Theft of Intellectual Property. IIRC, Gygax was sued by the estates of both Tolkien and Moorcock. Hubby still has a set of first ed books containing all of the pre-lawsuit stuff.

[@34luthien]

i really want to find the caneler's love song. Sung by leslie fish and heather alexander.

[@peterwalls-qf7ii]

Sage advise to game by, that is seldom heeded.

[@Tialakit]

yeah i can see someone like me going on a quest like that only it would be a case of the ranger trying to make friends with the balrog and getting eaten.

[@randolphcarsten4492]

ahh yes! loved the Game!

[@MichalSoukup1995]

Id love to call fire dapertment in case Id have to face the beast

[@onijester56]

1) "Geek" stuff is niche by definition since the "geek" is a "specialist" (read: his/her knowledge concerns content outside the vantages and considerations of the mainstream). 2) This is Inception-quality levels of niche. A folk-style song (niche) about not merely a fantasy RPG (niche) but a specific strategy which can be performed (niche) including, among other things, open references to skill checks and such (niche). 3) 1 level? One-hit single. 2? Maybe charts outside the US. 4? Impossible.

[@wannablessedbe]

More accurately, Bob Kanefsky parodied the song, he just got Leslie to sing it for him (because he doesn't like to sing his own stuff).

[@CarpeMetus]

Geeks are becoming more and more mainstream even as I type this. Some may not like that, but it's happening. Culture shifts all the time. I should have been more clear though, I meant "mainstream geek". I am among other things a geek and had not come across this through any of my geek contacts.

[@boedeb5181]

Because being a geek isn't being mainstream .

[@shadoeboi212]

the band The Faint had it right

[@SelectahShuffle]

@CarpeMetus because mainstream sucks, and this doesn't ;)