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Wassail Song (Maisemore)

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Performer: Unknown
Place Collected: Maisemore
Date collected: 1893
Collector: Unknown
Roud Number: 209

This version was printed in the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard – Saturday 29 December 1894 and taken from the Proceedings of the Cotteswold Naturalists’ Field Club in a paper given by Rev Winnington-Ingram (Rector of Lassington) in 1893. See https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/45563#page/45/mode/1up

So far as is known this is the western most collected version of the Gloucestershire wassail.

A GLOUCESTERSHIRE CHRISTMAS CAROL.

We’ve been a wassailing all over the town,
Our bread it is white, and our ale it is brown,
Our bowl it is made of the sycamore tree,
And a wassailing bowl we drink unto thee.

Wassail, wassail, our jolly wassail,
And joy shall go with our jolly wassail.

Here’s health to the ox, and to his old head,
Here’s wishing our master a good loaf of bread,
A good loaf of bread that we may all see,
And a wassailing bowl we drink unto thee.

Chorus.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his right eye,
Here’s wishing our master a good Christmas pie,
A good Christmas pie that we may all see,
And a wassailing bowl we drink unto thee.

Chorus.

Here’s health to the ox and to his old horn,
Here’s wishing our master a good crop of corn,
A good crop of corn that we may all see,
And a wassailing bowl we drink unto thee.

Chorus.

Here’s health to the ox and to his fore leg,
Here’s wishing our master a good fat pig,
A good fat pig that we may all see,
And a wassailing bowl we drink unto thee.

Chorus.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his old tail,
Here’s wishing our master a good tap of ale,
A good tap of ale that we may all see,
And a wassailing bowl we drink unto thee.

Chorus.

There was an old woman who had an old cow,
To keep her cow warm she did not know how,
So she builded a barn to keep her cow warm,
And a drop of good liquor will do US no harm.

Chorus.

Come, butler, bring us a bowl of your best,
And we hope that your soul in heaven may rest,
But if you don’t bring us a bowl of your small,
Down will go butler, bowl, and all.

Our carol’s done we must be gone,
We stay no longer here,
God bless you all, both great and small,
And send you a happy New Year.

Chorus.

Information from Trevor Brigham 23 November 2020

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