Ian Robb 1985
Ian Robb: The Old Rose and Crown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KsM5nQv–4
Good friends, gather round and I’ll tell you a tale. It’s a story well known to all lovers of ale. For the old English pub, once a man’s second home Has been decked out by brewers in plastic and foam. 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. And the old oaken bar where the pumps filled your glass Gives way to Formica and tanks full of gas. And the landlord behind, once a man of good cheer Just mumbles the price as he hands you your beer. 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. But the worst of it all’s what they’ve done to the beer. For their 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. So come all you good people who like to sup ale Here’s hope to a happier end to my tale For there’s nothing can fill up your heart with more cheer Than to sit in a pub with a pint of good beer.