The Root of the Boot / Stone Troll Song (Tolkien's Early LotR Draft) - Irish Folk Style

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My take on an early draft of "Sam's Troll Song." (Which was originally a poem called "The Root of the Boot") This version is based on a recording of JRR Tolkien performing the song, which I highly recommend listening to: .

The song Tolkien performs in the recording is based on the lyrics of one of his early drafts, in which the character is named John (rather than Tom). I enjoyed Tolkien's singing of the song and decided to make a song based on these lyrics. You may spot some old-fashioned English words in here like "Nuncle," which I think adds to the folksy nature of it.

For fans of the book version, fear not: I have done another version based on the published lyrics!

The melody is based on Tolkien's performance, which I recorded with some basic clapping and guitar, then ran through Suno to create the folk-style music. Audio was stemmed and remixed/remastered in an audio editor.

Thanks for listening!

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*Lyrics:*

A troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
And long and long he had sat there lone....

Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;
For man a year he had gnawed it near,
For meat was hard to come by!
Some by! Gum by!
In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone,
And meat was hard to come by.
(Oh meat be hard to come by!)

Up came John with his big boots on.
Said he to Troll: "Pray, what is yon?
For it looks like the shin o' me nuncle Jim,
As should be a-lyin' in graveyard!
Caveyard! Paveyard!
This many a year has Jim been gone,
And I thought he were lyin' in graveyard!"
(He should be a-lyin in graveyard!)

"My lad," said Troll, "This bone I stole
But what be bones that lie in a hole?
Thy nuncle was dead as a lump o' lead,
Afore I found his carcass!
Hark'ee! Mark'ee!
He can spare a bone for a poor old troll:
He's got no use for his carcass!"
(He's got no use for his carcass!)

Said John: "I don't see why the likes of thee
Without axin' leave should go makin' free
With the leg or the shin of me father's kin;
So hand the old bone over!
Rover! Trover!
Though dead he be, it belongs to he,
So hand the old bone over!"
(Now hand that old bone over!)

"For a couple o' pins," says Troll and grins,
"I'll eat thee too, and gnaw thy shins.
A bit o' fresh meat will go down sweet!
Thee'll be a nice change from thy nuncle!
Sunkle! Drunkle!
I'm tired of gnawing old bones and skins;
Thee'll be a nice change from thy nuncle!
(A tasty change from Nuncle!)

But just as he thought his dinner was caught,
He found his hands had hold of naught!
Before he could mind, John slipped behind
And gave him a boot to larn him!
Warn him! Darn him!
A bump o' the boot on the seat, John thought,
Would be the way to larn him!
(He gave him a boot to larn him!)

But harder than stone is the flesh and bone
Of a troll that sits in the hills alone!
As well set your boot to the mountain's root;
For the seat of a troll don't feel it!
Deal it! Peel it!
Old Troll laughed, but John did groan,
For his poor toes did feel it!
(His poor ol' toes did feel it!)

John's leg is game, since home he came,
And his bootless foot is lasting lame,
But Troll don't care, and he's still there
With the bone he boned from its owner!
Donor! Boner!
Troll's old seat is still the same,
And the bone he boned from its owner!
(He boned that bone from its owner!)

Troll sat alone on his seat of stone
With naught but a withered old bone!