LYRICS:

I was sure that you’d love me, to that hope, I did cling
‘Cos I’m Richard the third and everybody loves a king.

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Thought I did a good job, why do you disagree?
There’s a lot of people spreading nasty rumours ’bout me
Every word is a lie so I’m singing this song
‘Cos the history books have been telling it wrong.

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Never had a limp, always walked my full height
Never had a hump and my arm was alright
Never took the crown with the illegal power
Never killed my nephews, the princes in the tower.
Tudor propaganda, it’s all absurd.
Time to tell the truth ‘bout King Richard the Third...

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My brother Edward died, his kids too young to rule
So I took the throne. Why not? I’m nobody’s fool.

Thomas More wrote a history said I’d murdered Edward’s boys
Shakespeare said their death was an evil ploy
But I say those two are historical vandals
They’ve ruined my image, I mean - what a scandal!

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Never bumped off those harmless young heirs
Never buried them under the Tower of London stairs
Never poisoned my wife, bumped off her daddy
This is me, sweet Richard, do I look like a baddie?
Never was two-faced, sure you’ll agree
I was misunderstood, King Richard Three...

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Can you imagine it? I’m the last Plantagenet
Beaten by Henry in the Wars of the Roses.
The Tudor dynasty didn’t care that much for me
Now I’m painted as a baddie, that’s why one supposes…

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Never forget when you hear of my crimes
Never drowned my brother in a massive vat of wine
Never said ‘a horse! My kingdom for a horse!'
Who made that up? Why, William Shakespeare, of course.

Now my tale is told you won’t hear a bad word
About a special ruler King Richard the Third.