Danegeld - Words by Rudyard Kipling, arrangement by Leslie Fish

It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation,
To come upon their neighbors and to say,
"We invaded you last night,
We are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for danegeld,
And the people who ask it explain,
That if you just pay them the danegeld,
Then you'd be rid of the Danes.

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say,
"Though we know we should defeat you,
We have not the time to meet you,
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the danegeld,
But we've proved it again and again,
That if you once pay 'em the danegeld,
You'll never be rid of the Danes.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
Lest they should succumb and go astray,
So when you are requested,
To pay up or be molested,
You'll find it better policy to say.

"We never pay anyone danegeld,
No matter how trifling the cost,
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the people who play it are lost, lost, lost,
The people who play it are lost."