(The following is intended as a working draft, to be molded further by the folk process. Any suggestions or alternate verses welcome. “Fiddle” is good old British slang for a fraudulent scheme, but perhaps too obscure. “Swindle” would maybe work better there. In the last full verse the scansion is clumsy unless the first accent falls on “nation” rather than on “know”; then it works.)
I know an old nation that swallowed a lie,
But I don't know why
She swallowed a lie.
Perhaps she'll die.
I know an old nation that swallowed a line
That made her feel fine, hook and sinker behind.
She swallowed the line to swallow the lie,
But I don't know why
She swallowed a lie.
Perhaps she'll die.
I know an old nation that swallowed a story
Of a great former glory, one heck of a story.
She swallowed the story to swallow the line
That made her feel fine, hook and sinker behind.
She swallowed the line to swallow the lie,
But I don't know why she swallowed a lie.
Perhaps she'll die.
I know an old nation that swallowed a fable.
So sad! She was able to swallow a fable.
She swallowed the fable to swallow the story,
She swallowed the story to swallow the line,
That made her feel fine, hook and sinker behind.
She swallowed the line to swallow the lie,
But I don't know why she swallowed a lie.
Perhaps she'll die.
I know an old nation that swallowed a fiddle
That riled her and ripped her right up through the middle.
She swallowed the fiddle to swallow the fable,
She swallowed the fable to swallow the story,
She swallowed the story to swallow the line
That made her feel fine, hook and sinker behind.
She swallowed the line to swallow the lie,
But I don't know why
She swallowed a lie.
Perhaps she'll die.
I know a nation that swallowed a prevarication.
A prevarication can swallow a nation.
She swallowed it down to swallow the fiddle,
She swallowed the fiddle to swallow the fable,
She swallowed the fable to swallow the story,
She swallowed the story to swallow the line
That made her feel fine, hook and sinker behind.
She swallowed the line to swallow the lie,
But I don't know why
She swallowed a lie.
Perhaps she'll die.
I know an old nation that swallowed a Trump.
She died ker-thump!