One of the most well known and legendary tavern songs sung among the Dwarves. Backup vocals on this track were “sung” by James “Bandoras” Spahn & Tyler Michael Jonsson of the Middle-earth Network. This version is about as intelligible as you will ever hear it. In reality, after hearing it in a dwarf tavern, one is amazed how the original lyrics were preserved at all. The refrain of ah-rhydl-ai-dai is too obscene to repeat in Westron.
lyrics
Well oh, Luki’s beard is long and grey
Ha, me dwarves!
Luki’s beard is long and grey,
The prettiest beard in Durin’s Day
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
Well oh, Luki’s axe was fine for cutting,
Ha, me dwarves!
Luki's axe was fine for cutting,
A goblin’s neck or bread in the morning
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
Well I says "Luki the beer is brown"
Ha, me dwarves!
I says "Luki the beer is brown"
"Our wives are few and they’re underground"
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
Well I says Luki "I don't care"
Ha, me dwarves!
I says Luki "I don't care"
"We go to war in the spring of the year"
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
Oh, Luki's saving up his gold
Ha, me dwarves!
Luki’s saving up his gold
For a mithril shirt from the days of old,
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
Well, in Luki's forge the hammer falls,
Ha, me dwarves!
In Luki's forge the hammer falls,
He’s gone to sing in Aule’s halls,
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
Well oh, Luki’s beard is long and grey
Ha, me dwarves!
Luki’s beard is long and grey,
The prettiest beard in Durin’s Day
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
A-ha, me dwarves ah-rhydl-ai-dai
credits
from Songs of the Dwarves,
released December 11, 2012
Digital Art by John Di Bartolo
"Folk-fantasy" music. A minstrel wandering through Middle-earth & beyond the Western Seas. The music is primarily inspired
by Tolkien's writing and the literature that inspired him. Occasionally wandering into other realms of fantasy & history. 4th album due to be released in 2022!...more