Lyrics Tom Paxton – When Princes Meet

When princes meet
The poor little men must tremble
In judgment seat
They speak of their wars

When castles rise
The poor little men must build them
To charm the skies
They throw up the turrets
Where the great lords will them
They dig the dungeons from the earth
And their brothers, wives and children fill them
All those below cast down their eyes
When castles rise

God save the king
For he grants us leave to serve him
His praises sing
And grant that we may deserve him
Who counts the cost
The cattle and men to be lost
‘Tis no small thing to serve a king

When kings make war
The poor little men must fight them
They must do more
They hold out their necks
For great lord’s swords to bite them

Hide your cattle in the woods, Francois
The lord is looking your way
Hide your women and your goods, Francois
They’re coming around to make you pay
Hide if you can, poor little man, think of a prayer to say
Hide if you can, poor little man, think of a prayer to say

God save the king
For he grants us leave to serve him
His praises sing
And grant that we may deserve him
Who counts the cost
The cattle and men to be lost
‘Tis no small thing to serve a king

When kings make war
The poor little men must fight them (hide your cattle in the woods, Francois)
They must do more (the lord is looking your way)
They hold out their necks
For great lord’s swords to bite them (hide your women and your goods, Francois)
The sons of the lords cleave through their ranks (they’re coming around to make you pay)
In the hopes some warrior king might knight them (hide if you can, poor little man, think of a prayer to say)
It’s what the poor little men are for
When kings make war (hide if you can, poor little man, think of a prayer to say)
It’s what the poor little men are for
When kings make war (hide if you can, poor little man, think of a prayer to say)