The King Wants the Copper | Medieval Tavern Bard Song | Fantasy Folk Music

The King Wants the Copper is a rowdy medieval tavern bard song about taxes, empty pockets, hard-working villagers, and a kingdom that always seems to want one more coin. Sit by the fire and raise a cup to this original medieval folk song, where the taxman comes knocking, hens are hidden beneath the straw, the harvest is claimed, and the pence never seem to stay in anyone's purse. With its stomping tavern energy, folk storytelling, drinking-song spirit, and working-man perspective, this track is made for fans of medieval tavern music, fantasy folk music, bard songs, D&D music, tabletop RPG ambience, medieval drinking songs, and fantasy adventure music. The song follows a poor village struggling under ever-increasing demands: barley and rye disappear into the crown's coffers, the taxman counts everything from the harvest to the breath in a man's chest, and the people are left with empty pockets and empty cups. But what do you do when the king wants the copper? You sing. You drink. And you carry on. Perfect for: 🏰 D&D and tabletop RPG campaigns 🍺 Medieval tavern ambience 🎻 Fantasy folk playlists 📖 Writing and worldbuilding ⚔️ RPG adventures 🔥 Cozy medieval nights by the fire 🍻 Medieval drinking-song playlists If you enjoy Bard & Briar Mead Hall, subscribe for more medieval bard songs, fantasy folk music, tavern songs, and stories from the road. 🎶 THE KING WANTS THE COPPER — LYRICS [Verse 1] ♪ Oh, hey, oh, hey ♪ Hid them under straw, safe within the floor ♪ Six fat hens, now they want one more ♪ Tall Master Grim, red robes and pride ♪ Knocking at the door, nowhere left to hide ♪ Tithes for the altar, pennies for the crowd ♪ If I cannot pay, he will burn it down [Chorus] ♪ Oh, the king wants the copper from the dead man's eye ♪ He wants the harvest, though the well is dry ♪ He takes the barley ♪ He takes the rye, the king gets fat ♪ All the miller's boys cry, "We drink too!" ♪ The pence we never get to keep [Verse 2] ♪ Black sheep in the glen, thistle in the wool ♪ Scales are always light, the purse is never full ♪ Bought a new cart, greased up the wheel ♪ That's the taxman signing away the deal ♪ Gold for the stable, silver for the silk ♪ I've got water instead of heavy milk [Chorus] ♪ Oh, the king wants the copper from the dead man's eye ♪ He wants the harvest, though the well is dry ♪ He takes the barley ♪ He takes the rye, the king gets fat ♪ All the miller's boys cry, "We drink too!" ♪ The pence we never get to keep [Bridge] ♪ Counts the teeth inside your mouth ♪ He counts the stars up in the north ♪ He follows us from north to south ♪ And draws his debt, he leads you forward ♪ Lie down, write it down, taxing the breath ♪ And taxing the ground [Final Chorus] ♪ Oh, the king wants the copper from the dead man's eye ♪ He wants the harvest, though the well is dry ♪ He takes the barley ♪ He takes the rye, the king gets fat ♪ All the miller's boys cry, "We drink too!" ♪ The pence we never get to keep [Outro] ♪ Empty pockets, sir ♪ Empty cups, 'til the copper's drunk it up ♪ Give it all away until the break of day ♪ Hey! 🏰 About the Song This original fantasy folk song is a working-man ballad from the muddy end of the kingdom, combining medieval tavern music with the humor and frustration of ordinary people trying to survive under the crown's demands. The song's imagery—tax collectors, hidden hens, barley, rye, copper coins, empty cups, and a crowded tavern—makes it especially suited for D&D campaigns, fantasy taverns, RPG sessions, medieval roleplaying, and fantasy storytelling. Raise your cup. The king wants the copper. medieval tavern music, medieval bard song, fantasy folk music, bard song, D&D tavern music, Dungeons and Dragons music, medieval drinking song, medieval folk music, fantasy tavern music, tavern songs, working man ballad, medieval fantasy music, fantasy bard music, RPG tavern music, tabletop RPG music, medieval ambience, fantasy folk song, medieval storytelling, peasant folk song, taxman folk song, medieval drinking music, original bard song, fantasy tavern ambience, Bard and Briar Mead Hall, The King Wants the Copper #TheKingWantsTheCopper #BardAndBriar #MedievalTavernMusic #BardSong #FantasyFolk #MedievalFolk #DnDTavernMusic #DnDMusic #FantasyMusic #TavernSongs #MedievalMusic #RPGMusic ❶