Steeleye Span Album

A-wassail, a-wassail throughout all the town
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown
Our wassail is made of the good ale and cake
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best we could bake
Chorus
Fol dedol dol dedol Dol dedol dol de dol
Fol de de ro Fol de da ri
Sing too ra li o
Our wassail is made of the elderberry bough
And so my good neighbors we'll drink unto thou
Besides all on earth, you have apples in store
Pray let us come in for it's cold by the door
Chorus
We hope that your apple trees prosper and bear
So that we may have cider when we call next year
And where you have one barrel we hope you'll have ten
So that we may have cider when we call again
Chorus
There's a master and a mistress sitting down by the fire
While we poor wassail boys stand here in the mire
Come you pretty maid with your silver headed pin
Pray open the door and let us come in
Chorus
It's we poor wassail boys so weary and cold
Please drop some small silver into our bowl
And if we survive for another new year
Perhaps we may call and see who does live here
Chorus
We know by the moon that we are not too soon
And we know by the sky that we are not too high
And we know by the star that we are not too far
And we know by the ground that we are within sound
Chorus

[No lyrics]

Now as I come home so drunk, I couldn't see, oh
There I saw a horse, no horse should be there
I says unto me wife, tell this to me, oh
How come the horse there, no horse should be there
You old fool, you silly fool, can't you plainly see, oh
Nothing but a milk cow me mother sent to me, oh
Miles I have travelled a thousand miles and more, oh
Saddle on a milk cow I've never seen before.

And as I come home so drunk I couldn't see, oh
There I saw boots, no boots should be there
I says unto me wife, tell this to me, oh
How come the boots there, no boots should be there
You old fool, you silly fool, can't you plainly see, oh
Nothing but a flower pot me mother sent to me, oh
Miles I have travelled a thousand miles and more, oh
Laces on a flower pot I've never seen before.

And as I come home so drunk I couldn't see, oh
There I saw a hat, no hat should be there
I says unto me wife, tell this to me, oh
How come the hat there, no hat should be there
You old fool, you silly fool, can't you plainly see, oh
Nothing but a chamber pot me mother sent to me, oh
Miles I have travelled a thousand miles and more, oh
Sweat-band on a chamber pot I've never seen before.

And as I come home so drunk I couldn't see, oh
There I saw a man, no man should be there
I says unto me wife, tell this to me, oh
How come the man there, no man should be there
You old fool, you silly fool, can't you plainly see, oh
Nothing but a baby me mother sent to me, oh
Miles I have travelled a thousand miles and more, oh
Whiskers on a baby I've never seen before, oh.

When I was on horseback, wasn't I pretty ?
When I was on horseback, wasn't I gay ?
Wasn't I pretty when I entered Cork City
And met with my downfall on the fourteenth of May ?

Six jolly soldiers to carry my coffin
Six jolly soldiers to march by my side
It's six jolly soldiers take a bunch of red roses
Then for to smell them as we go along.

Beat the drum slowly and play the pipes only
Play up the dead march as we go along
And bring me to Tipperary and lay me down easy
I am a young soldier that never done wrong.

When I was on horseback, wasn't I pretty ?
When I was on horseback, wasn't I gay ?
Wasn't I pretty when I entered Cork City
And met with my downfall on the fourteenth of May ?

There was a woman in our town and in our town did dwell
She loved her husband dearly but another man twice as well
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

She went down to the doctor to see if she could find
Anything in the whole world to make her old man blind
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

Oh take him sixteen marrowbones and make him eat them all
And when he's finished he'll be so blind that he won't see you at all
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

So the doctor he wrote a letter and he sealed it with his hand
And he sent it up to the old man to make him understand
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

But the old man being a crafty bugger, he knew it all before
He ate them up and he says : 'Me dear, I can't see you at all'
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

Says he : 'I'll go to the river and there meself I'll drown'
Says she : 'I'll walk along with you to see that you don't fall down'
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

They walked along together till they come to the river's brim
So gently there she's kissed him and she crept away behind
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

She ran and she ran behind him to try to push him in
But the old man heard and he jumped aside and she went tumbling in
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

So loudly she did holler and loud for mercy call
But the old man says : 'I am so blind, I can't see you at all'
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

She swam and she swam and she swam around till she came to the further brim
But the old man got the barge pole and he pushed her further in
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

Oh it may take sixteen marrowbones to make your old man blind
But if you want to murder him you must creep up close behind
And sing Folder oh la la la ...

Come and join with Captain Coulston, that hero stout and bold
Who fought his way all on the sea and never was controlled
For six long weeks in summer gales we sailed upon the sea
All bound for New York City, that city fair to see.

The captain and his lady they came on deck each day
To help us with our merriment, going to Amerikay
The merriment being over, we're going to bed one night
The captain he came upon deck to see if all was right.

He said : 'My boys, do not go down you need not think on sleep'
'For in a few hours more we shall be slumbering in the deep'
'For a pirate ship is coming down upon the western sea'
'To rob us of our property going to Amerikay'.

The pirate ship came up to us and ordered us to stand
'Your gold and precious loading, this moment I demand'
'Your gold and precious cargo, resign to me this day'
'Or not a soul you'll ever bring unto Amerikay'.

The battle it commenced, brave boys, and blood in streams did flow
While undaunted did our passengers, the pirate overthrow
The cries of women and children lying in the hull below
While the captain and his passengers the pirate did overthrow.

The pirate ship surrendered just by the break of day
And we brought her as a bounty unto Amerikay.

[No lyrics]

I am a wee weaver confined to my loom
My lover she is fair as the red rose in June
She's loved by all young men and that does grieve me
My heart's in the bosom of lovely Mary.

As Willie and Mary rode by yon shady bower
Where Willie and Mary spent many a happy hour
Where the thrush and the blackbird do constantly call
The praises of Mary 'round Locherin's shore.

As Willie and Mary rode by yon river side
Said Willie to Mary : 'Will you be my bride ?'
This couple got married and they'll roam no more
Their pleasures and treasures 'round Locherin's shore.

You gallant sportsmen all, come listen to my story
It's of the bold Skewball, that noble racing pony
Arthur Marvel was the man that brought bold Skewball over
He's the diamond of the land and he rolls about in clover.

The horses were brought out with saddle, whip and bridle
And the gentlemen did shout when they saw the noble riders
And some did shout hurray, the air was thick with curses
And on the grey Griselda the sportsmen laid their purses.

The trumpet it did sound, they shot off like an arrow
They scarcely touched the ground for the going it was narrow
Then Griselda passed him by and the gentlemen did holler
The grey will win the day and Skewball he will follow.

Then halfway 'round the course up spoke the noble rider
I fear we must fall back for she's going like a tiger
Up spoke the noble horse, ride on my noble master
For we're half way round the course and now we'll see who's faster.

And when they did discourse, bold Skewball flew like lightning
They chased around the course and the grey mare she was taken
Ride on my noble lord, for the good two hundred guineas
The saddle shall be of gold when we pick up our winnings.

Past the winning post, bold Skewball proved quite handy
And horse and rider both ordered sherry, wine and brandy
And then they drank a health unto Miss Griselda
And all that lost their money on the sporting plains of Kildare.