by Arthur Macy (1842 - 1904)
Saint Botolph
Language: English
Saint Botolph flourished in the olden time, In the days when the saints were in their prime. Oh, his feet were bare and bruised and cold, But his heart was warm and pure as gold. And the kind old saint with his gown and hood Was loved by the sinners and loved by the good, For he made the sinners as pure as the snow, And the good men needed him to keep them so. Chorus: Then drink, brave gentlemen, drink with me To the Lincolnshire saint by the old North Sea. A glass and a toast and a song and rhyme To the barefooted saint of the olden time. He loved a friend and a flagon of wine, When the friend was true and the bottle was fine. He would raise his glass with a knowing wink, And this was the toast he would always drink:-- "Oh, here's to the good and the bad men too, For without them saints would have nothing to do. Oh, I love them both and I love them well, But which I love better, I never can tell." (Chorus) As he journeyed along on the king's highway He gave all the boys and the girls "Good-day," And never a child saw the hood and the gown But ran to the father of Botolph's Town. He'd a word for the wicked, and he called them kin, And he said, "I am certain that there must be sin While a few get the loaves and many get the crumbs, And some are born fingers and some born thumbs." (Chorus) But the saint grew old, and sorry the day When his life went out with the tide in the bay; But he left a name and he left a creed Of the cheerful life and the kindly deed. Then remember the man of the days of old Whose heart was warm and as pure as gold, And remember the tears and the prayers he gave For any poor devil with a soul to save. (Chorus)
Authorship:
- by Arthur Macy (1842 - 1904), "Saint Botolph", appears in Poems, first published 1905 [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 George Whitefield Chadwick (1854 - 1931), "Saint Botolph", 1929. [TTBB chorus and piano] [text not verified]
- by George Whitefield Chadwick (1854 - 1931), "Saint Botolph", published 1902. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-07-16
Line count: 40
Word count: 339