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by William Watson, Sir (1858 - 1935)

Tavern song
Language: English 
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. 

Text Authorship:

  • by William Watson, Sir (1858 - 1935), "Tavern song", appears in New Poems, first published 1909 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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

  • by Howard Fisher , "Tavern song", published <<1940. [voice and piano] [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-21
Line count: 45
Word count: 397

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