Song of the Day 6/26: Neil Innes, “Brave Sir Robin”

This one’s for Bethany Hall Long who, put in a position to cast an important tie-breaking vote, showed her leadership skills: She bravely turned her tail and fled.

Neil Innes was the guy the Monty Python troupe turned to whenever music was required. A veteran of the irreverent Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, he provided the musical bits for the Pythons’ TV show and films. He also wrote the music for the Rutles, parodying the Beatles so well that their publisher sued for co-writing credits. He was multi-talented, too – that’s his whistling you hear in “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” which he wrote with Eric Idle for “The Life of Brian.”

Here’s Innes in his most prominent on-screen role, as Sir Robin’s favorite minstrel.