Tavern song (Watson, set by H. Fisher) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


I 
When winterly weather doth pierce to the skin, 
Then hey ! for a bottle of wine from the bin ; 
And hey ! for a tankard, and ho ! for a tankard, 
Sing ho ! for a tankard of ale at the inn. 
Ms hey ! for a bottle, it's ho ! for a bottle, 
Sing ho ! for a bottle of wine from the bin ; 
And it's hey ! for a tankard, it's ho ! for a tankard, 
Sing ho ! for a tankard of ale at the inn. 

II 

The squire's at the Hall with his kith and his kin ; 
He'll drink like a hero till daylight begin, 
With hey ! for a bottle, with ho ! for a bottle, 
A mellow old bottle of wine from the bin. 
Sing hey ! for a bottle, a mellow old bottle, 
Sing ho ! for a bottle of wine from the bin, 
And sing hey ! for a tankard, a right flowing tankard, 
Sing ho ! for a tankard of ale at the inn. 

III 

The parson, God bless him, he says it's no sin, 
When winterly weather hath made the blood thin, 
To toss off a tankard, to toss off a tankard, 
To toss off a tankard of ale at the inn. 
So it's hey ! for a bottle, a bottle, a bottle, 
It's ho ! for a bottle of wine from the bin, 
And it's hey ! for a tankard, a heart-easing tankard, 
It's ho ! for a tankard of ale at the inn. 

IV 

For duns and the devil he cares not a pin 
Who is rich in a bottle of wine from his bin, 
And the cream of all wisdom is quaffed from a tankard, 
A heart-easing tankard of ale at the inn. 
Then hey ! for a bottle, a mellow old bottle, 
Then ho ! for a bottle of wine from the bin. 
And hey ! for a tankard, a fair foaming tankard, 
And ho ! for a tankard of ale at the inn. 

V 

The lads must have lasses and woo them and win, 
And the business of wives is to bake and to spin, 
But men love a tankard, but men love a tankard, 
But men love a tankard of ale at the inn. 
Then hey ! for a bottle, then ho ! for a bottle, 
Sing ho ! for a bottle of wine from the bin, 
And it's hey ! for a tankard, a tankard, a tankard, 
And ho ! for a tankard of ale at the inn.

Authorship

Sir William Watson (1858-1935)

New Poems

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Howard Fisher

Date added to the website: 2009-01-21.

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