Lyrics and music by Brian Leo

Performed by Brobdingnagian Bards
from I Will Not Sing Along

I will not sing along
Keep your stupid song
We're the audience,
It's you we came to see
You're not supposed to train us
You're supposed to entertain us.
So get to work and leave me be.

When you go out to a play
Do the actors turn and say,
“Alright, everyone together say my line”
But folk singers get away
With this practice every day
Because they think you people've got no spines

Well it's time to stand and fight
And defend your basic right
To be quiet, any time you choose
When the kumbayahs begin,
It's not crime and it's no sin
To stand up and holler, “I REFUSE!”

Does a trucker pass the buck
And say, “Let's all drive me truck.”
Does a surgeon holler, “Everybody cut!”
But folk singers all expect
For you to drop your self-respect
And howl like some demented nut

It's a big folk singer thing
To say, “everybody sing!”
It's supposed to show our camaraderie
Well, the odds are pretty strong,
That I'm paid to do this song
So why should you do my job for free [I just ask you]

Credits

Every now and then, I reach out to fans and friends to sing with me on albums. It seemed like an extra good idea for the title track of our new album. Because it needs back up singers to be done right. You see, it's called “I Will Not Sing Along”. Contrary to its name, it's a big sing along.

The song was written by Brian Leo. He's performed at Renaissance festivals both solo and with lots of groups for years, most notably Molly & the Tinker and our friends 3 Pints Gone.

I don't know even know how Andrew found this song years ago. But it was such a fun song. It needed recording.

Now I should point out that “I Will Not Sing Along” is not the correct name of the song. The original name was the “Anti-Sing-Along Song”. That explains why it took over ten years for us to find the actual author (Thank you YouTube).

Any case, a big thanks to Brian “Tinker” Leo for allowing us to record his song.

Thanks also to our backup singers on “I Will Not Sing Along”, including Rod Nevin, Marcia Claesson, Heather Ackroyd, Elizabeth Shelton, Craig Schultz, Lizzie & Eric of Cheshire Moon, Charlie Rogers, C David Dent, Brian Flatley, Alyssa Yeager.

Special thanks to our incredible friends Mikey Mason and Devo Spice. It was our honor to have these incredible musicians sing (and rap) on our album. You are amazing.