“The Prettiest Hobbit” lyrics and music Marc Gunn
Performed by Kilted Kings
From CD: Name On My Soul
I'll tell Belladonna
‘neath the Party Tree
Let's have fun
Come dance with me
If she won't dance
Then I'll ask Daisy
We'll skip til the sun
Comes up over the trees
* Jump up and down
Let your teeth gleam
Shout your love now 1-2-3
Sing a song down on one knee
She's the prettiest hobbit
You've ever seen
The prettiest hobbit
You've ever seen
The moon looks down
On our hungry cheer
Let's raid old Mungo's
Mushroom field
If we lose our way
‘Neath a cloudy night
We'll chase young coneys
Til the broad daylight
We'll laugh and we'll eat
Our honey cakes
As we roll in the grass
Down by the lake
The swan calls out
“Go home my friends”
To the Party Tree
We'll start again
Chords: Key C
[C]I'll tell Belladonna
‘neath the [F]Party [C]Tree
Let's have fun
Come [G]dance with me
If [C]she won't dance
Then [F]I'll ask Daisy
We'll [C]skip til the sun
Comes up [F]over [G]the [C]trees
[C]Jump up and down
Let your teeth gleam
Shout your love now [G]1-2-3
[C]Sing a song down [F]on one [C]knee
She's the prettiest hobbit
You've [F]ev-[G]er [C]seen
The prettiest hobbit
You've [F]ev-[G]er [C]seen
Background
I wrote “The Prettiest Hobbit” a day or two after our second daughter Inara Claire Gunn was born. The song was written as a hobbit children's song. The goal was to write a song in the same fun, child-like vein as “I'll Tell Me Ma“. Since it's hobbit based, I wanted the famed Party Tree of Hobbiton mentioned as well as the food that hobbits love so well.
Knowing that “The Prettiest Hobbit” was written right after Inara was born makes you think it was entirely inspired by her. But I can't neglect her older sister. Kenzie loves to sing “I'll Tell My Ma” with me. It's a fun upbeat, delightful song that's popular with a lot of kids, due to the bouncy nature and cheerful lyrics. That's why I used elements of that in this song.
I wanted interactivity as well. So I added “jump up and down, let your teeth gleam”. Second time playing the song, Kenzie was jumping up and down and smiling with big, cute grin. Five times into it she started shouting “1-2-3”. The song was an instant hit with my four-year old daughter and can now sing it.
Where did the names come from?
Yes. I put Inara Gunn into the generator and got: Belladonna Sandybanks of Frogmorton
Inara's middle name, Claire, was used to generate the second name in there, Daisy.
I wanted to use Kenzie's name in it, but Tigerlily and Sweetpea just didn't work as well for the flow of the song.
The name Mungo came from my middle, which is Andrew. Marc yield “Reginard”. Just not as fun for the purposes of this song.
All I'm thrilled with how well this song came out. I've already started singing it at shows and kids enjoy it. I hope to add it to my next album after Dragons vs. Pirates. And maybe some day, it'll end up on a compilation of more hobbit songs like on Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits.
The Prettiest Hobbit Videos
from PurgaTorre release of Kilted Kings CD
The Prettiest Hobbit Adventure with Inara
Travel Georgia to Lookout Mountain with my Family
from Brobdingnagian Bards' CD I Will Not Sing Along
Musicians
I recorded the song on two different CDs.
Name On My Soul
- Marc Gunn: autoharp, vocals
- Randy Wothke: djembe
I Will Not Sing Along
- Marc Gunn: autoharp, vocals
- Andrew McKee: recorder
