Oh, the noble Duke of York,/He had ten thousand men./He led them up to the top of the hill,/and he led them down again./And when they were up, they were up;/And when they were down, they were down;/And when they were only half-way up,/They were neither up nor down.
The eponymous duke has been argued to be a number of the bearers of that title, particularly Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763–1827) and its lyrics have become proverbial for futile action.
Oh, the noble Duke of York,/He had ten thousand men./He led them up to the top of the hill,/and he led them down again./And when they were up, they were up;/And when they were down, they were down;/And when they were only half-way up,/They were neither up nor down.
Real song from grade school piano lessons.
Vaguely remember that
Possibly it's the duchy of dolts.
https://secondhandsongs.com/work/264437/all
The eponymous duke has been argued to be a number of the bearers of that title, particularly Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763–1827) and its lyrics have become proverbial for futile action.
Makes sense