The Ballad of Ernie the Red
by Tamir Buchshtav

This one is dedicated to all those millions RPG players out there, who for some reason can't figure out how to spell Rogue

I remember when I was a spirit,
Without incarnation or form,
Standing before the creator,
Seconds before I was born.

I handed the form with the questions,
Of what I would do with my life,
Never aware of the problem,
That’ll fill my existence with strife.

Chorus:
Ernie’s my name, and my hair is like flame,
Though my skin is an Indian red,
My eyes are the color of embers,
Of a fire that’s soon to be dead.
I wanted to be but a scoundrel,
To steal and to cheat and to booze,
One simple mistake in an answer,
And now I am Ernie the rouge.

Blending in crowds is a given,
For those who would live lives of crime,
But trying to blend with my color,
Is simply a waste of my time.

Picking the pockets of strangers,
Live light a thief in the night,
But how can I stay out of prison,
When everyone knows me on sight?

Chorus

Going away on adventures,
Living a life in the wild,
Is a noble and worthy vocation,
For one with a life such as mine,

But being the color of demons,
Is not a good way to survive,
When warriors start wielding their weapons,
I can’t be sure I’ll stay alive.

Chorus

Listen to me all you people,
Hear what I have here to say,
God has a great sense of humor,
Heed me or else you will pay.

Learn how to spell your intentions,
Learn how to write what you mean,
Or else ‘stead of being a fighter,
You’ll find yourself “Jerry the Green”.

Chorus