The Ballad of Dragons | A Minstrel's Retelling (Original Song)
Channel: Mark the Minstrel
Date: 16/03/2024

The story needs to be told! Sworn foes become best of friends!
This ballad gives the critical lesson of empathy and compassion.
Presenting: The Ballad of Dragons

I thought it would be fun to make a ballad about HTTYD because of the nostalgia with an excellent moral. Fellow people of Culture with recognize the instrumental as Driftville City from Pokémon Black and White, also known as the toothless dancing meme, which I had to include.

Tell me what you think in the comments!

The moral of the story is:
"You cannot both hate someone and understand them at the same time"
https://youtu.be/98PEQwphc4Y?si=nbNFcgLGAJ-7uMIm&t=936


Extra content: https://www.patreon.com/MarkTheMinstrel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marktheminstrel


DISCLAIMER: 
All rights to the story and 3D animated footage used in this video belong to DreamWorks Animation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Train_Your_Dragon

Toothless dancing meme hails from footage owned by Cas van de Pol.
https://www.youtube.com/@cas



Instruments used:
Rogue RM100-A Mandolin
Gold Tone OM-800+ Octave Mandolin
Yamaha YRT-302B Tenor Recorder
Mollenhauer Alto Recorder
Sonola Rivoli Special Accordion
Tama Quality Bass Drum
Cosmic Productions Tambourine
Indonesian Rain Stick

Lyrics:
 Intro

 Verse 1
long ago in a
far away land lived a 
bright young lad who was
strong of head but not of hand 

come my friend for the 
story will show
how this man made a 
friend of his foe.

 Verse 2
one dark night on an
island did fall fire
from the sky for the 
dragons sought to pillage all

yet our hero with his
net aimed high 
shot the mightiest 
out of the sky

 Chorus
that which once was
sworn his foe be-
-came his dearest 
friend

man and beast are
truly one in
same and shall
be together til the
end.

 Instrumental

 Verse 3
with his foe captured
in his snare he un
sheathed his knife for to
take it's heart and leave it there

but the lad could not
bring down his hand and
set it free to re-
-turn to it's land

 Verse 4
with the help of each
other they went to the
dragon's home where
the real evil was evident 

now the evil could no
longer hide from
man and beast fighting
side by side

 Chorus
that which once was
sworn his foe be-
-came his dearest 
friend

man and beast are
truly one in
same and shall
be together til the
end.

 Instrumental

 Verse 5
man with power of
dragons was shown where the
evil hid but they
could not face it on their own

change of heart in the
leader of men
gave the heroes ad-
vantage again

 Verse 6
one on one with the
hero did fight the
evil beast in a
final show of skill and might

pow'r alone of the 
evil did fail
bond and skill let our
heroes prevail

 Chorus
that which once was
sworn his foe be-
-came his dearest 
friend

man and beast are
truly one in
same and shall
be together til the
end.

 Instrumental 

 Verse 7
so my friend
when you see your foe
remember that they
have a story you don't know

hear this lesson
which i sing and rhyme
you can't hate and understand 
at the same time

 Chorus
that which once was
sworn his foe be-
-came his dearest 
friend

man and beast are
truly but the
same and shall
be together til the
end.

 Instrumental


Speed: 170
Timing: 4/4
Key: D Dorian

Chords:
     Verse:
|D5   |D5   |C5   |C5 D5
|D5   |F5 D5 |F5 C5 | E5 D5
     Chorus
|C   |F   |C   |G
|C   |F   |C   |F5 E5 |D5
     Instrumental
|D5   |D5 A5 |D5   |D5 A5 
|D5   |D5   |E5 F5 |D5

Music I used as inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc_0wfIuuzw

Performed and edited by Mark Berglin