The America Ground’s most powerful businessmen, the Breeds brothers Thomas and Mark, build themselves a lasting fortune but make enemies of Hastings Corporation in the process, so they use The America Ground for a lot of their businesses, as it lies outside the Corporation’s jurisdiction.
At some point the brothers fall out and a long lasting feud begins. They can’t stand each-other. They fight to the point of ending up in court and – having earlier moved into adjacent properties when they were still allies – find themselves building a 10 foot wall so they won’t have to ever see each-other.
lyrics
The Battling Breeds Cm, 4/4, 105bpm, choir / small group, characters, percussion, acc
CHORUS
Don’t get caught
Taking the piss
Out of the battling Breeds
They’re the only men
With wealth enough
To hold a paper lease
Someday you may need their help
For a job or a loan at least
So don’t get caught
Taking the mickey
Out of the battling Breeds
VERSE 1
Thomas and Mark made their start
Selling to the building trade
One’s a firebrand, one’s a schemer
Soon their cash was made
In 1810 young Thomas Breeds
Takes on the Corporation
He proves to the court that they had stolen
Charity donations
Corruption ruined a local school
Thomas got it mended
And after that, for the Hastings mob
The brothers were Unfriended
But The family Breeds had done so well
Their fortune soon was sealed
For Christmas 1815
They bought the Priory Field
Mark Breeds built a hotel there
With houses both sides planned
Investors had a bidding war
And they gave him 16 grand
Then they got into breweries
Ran coaches everywhere
The beautiful street was near complete
So they called it Wellington Square
CHORUS
Don’t get caught
Taking the piss
Out of the battling Breeds
They’re the only men
With wealth enough
To hold a paper lease
Someday you may need their help
For a job or a loan at least
So don’t get caught
Taking the michael
Out of the battling Breeds
VERSE 3
After that – and we don’t know why
The brothers’ friendship ended
Even with the wealth and fame
Never was it mended
They feuded loud for many a year
Had a punch up in the street
Got hauled up by the Local court
Paid fines to keep them sweet
“I never want to see his face again”
Mark was heard to mutter
If he comes near, Thomas shouts
I’ll kick him in the gutter
QUIET PUNCHLINE VERSE
Now this was quite a problem, since
For years they’d lived next door
They used to treat both homes as one
Now they built a 10 foot wall
CHORUS
So Don’t get caught
Taking the piss
Out of the battling Breeds
They’re the only men
With wealth enough
To hold a paper lease
Someday you may need their help
For a job or a loan at least
So don’t get caught
Taking the mickey
Out of the battling Breeds
FINAL VERSE
Some day many years from now
When we’re long dead and buried
There’ll still be Breeds in Hastings town
So don’t go making merry
Don’t you write no history
Don’t sing it in a bloody song
Cos if Breeds are sitting on a beer barrel throne
Your great great great great grandchildren
Will pay if you did them wrong.
LONG CHORUS
NO, Don’t get caught
Taking the piss
Out of the battling Breeds
They’re the only men
With wealth enough
To hold a paper lease
Someday you may need their help
For a job or a room or a loan or a ride at least…
So don’t get caught
No loose talk
No loose chatter
of men who matter
No, don’t get caught
Behind your sleeve
Laughing at those crazy battling Breeds
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