The Smial or the Tree (Lyrics)

“The Smial or the Tree” lyrics Nancy Flynn, music Turlough O'Carolan parody of “The Orange and The Green” and “Rising of the Moon

Performed by Marc Gunn
From CD: Sci Fi Drinking Songs

Oh, my father was a halfling, from Hobbiton was he
My mother was an elfmaid, and in Mirkwood dwelleth she
They met once, only briefly, under an old oak tree
It was a worthy venture. Nine months later there came me

Oh, I feel so strange and mixed up, I hardly know myself
For my father was a hobbit and my mother was an elf

Too tall to hide inside a log, too short to climb a tree
Dear Dad was only 3 foot 6 while Mom was 6 foot 3
I've bright blue eyes and long blond hair, so how do you suppose
I ended up with curly braids a growin' from my toes

Raised in Thranduil's castle, the forest was my home
But always over hill and dale I felt inclined to roam
Every evening Mum and I through the woods did stroll
Til one night just like Dad, I went a-rollin' down the hole

One day upon his doorstep I per-chanced to be
And when I rang the doorbell, he invited me to tea
We began to get aquainted as he showed me round the place
“So, how's your Mum?” he asked of me, a sly grin on his face

Now as the heir apparent to all their worldly goods,
I've half a hillside in the Shire and acreage in the woods.
They took a ship to Valinor and sailed across the sea,
And left me on my own to choose the Smial or the Tree.

Chords: Key C

[C]Oh, my father was a halfling, from [Dm]Hobbiton was he
My [F]mother was an elfmaid, and in [C]Mirkwood [G7]dwelleth [C]she
They met once, only briefly, un-[Dm]der an old oak tree
It [F]was a worthy venture. Nine months [C]later [G7]there came [C]me

Oh, I feel so strange and mixed up, I [Dm]hardly know myself
For my [F]father was a hobbit and my [C]mother [G7]was an [C]elf

Background

A fun parody of a parody. Turlough O'Carolan is credited with writing a brilliant melody that was used for the tune “Rising of the Moon”. That was later parodied in a song called “The Orange and The Green”, which was then turned into a hobbit song by my friend Nancy Flynn. A “smial” is a hobbit hole that was dug into hills and mounds for living.