Countless musicians have performed and re-injected life into traditional songs with examples ranging from Thin Lizzy's (and later Metallica's) Whiskey in a Jar (traditional Irish song) to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's latest collaboration Among The Gold.
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Gloucestershire wassail
Traditional Lyrics
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Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown,
Our bowl, it is made of the good maple tree;
From the wassailing bowl we'll drink unto thee.
Come, butler, and fill us a bowl of your best,
And we hope your soul in Heaven may rest;
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,
Come here, sweet maid, in the frilly white smock,
Come trip to the door and trip back the lock!
Come trip to the door and pull back the pin,
And let us jolly wassailers in.
The lyrics of the traditional song "Gloucestershire Wassail" are meant to be sung during the Christmas season. The word "wassail" derives from the Old English "waes hael," meaning "be well," and the song is an invitation to participate in the custom of wassailing, which involved going door to door to sing and share drinks with your neighbours.
The first verse sets the scene, with the repetition of "wassail, wassail all over the town" signalling that the wassailers are making their presence known. They extol the virtues of their bread and ale, which are of good quality and made from natural ingredients. The "wassailing bowl" refers to a large communal vessel, often made of wood and passed around amongst the group. The second verse is directed towards the butler, who is asked to fill the bowl with his best ale. The wassailers hope that he will be rewarded in the afterlife for his generosity. However, there's a threat implied in the lines "But if you do bring us a bowl of the small, then down shall go butler and bowl and all," implying that a lack of hospitality will result in the butler being punished.
The final verse of the song is directed towards a young maid, who is asked to unlock the door and let the wassailers inside. The image of the dancers in "frilly white smocks" is a nod towards Morris dancing, another traditional English custom which often accompanied wassailing. The "jolly wassailers" bring good cheer, a sense of community, and a reminder of the values of generosity and hospitality.
Line by Line Meaning
Wassail, wassail all over the town!
Let's cheer and sing throughout the town to wish everyone a happy new year!
Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown,
We have good food and drinks to share with you in this festive season.
Our bowl, it is made of the good maple tree;
We have a special bowl made of maple tree to hold our drinks, which gives its own unique taste.
From the wassailing bowl we'll drink unto thee.
We will offer you a drink from our special bowl as a celebration of the new year.
Come, butler, and fill us a bowl of your best,
Please bring us your finest ale, butler!
And we hope your soul in Heaven may rest;
We hope that you will have peace and joy in your heart, butler!
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,
If you bring us a small or inferior quality ale,
Then down shall go butler and bowl and all.
We will not tolerate low quality drinks and will throw you and your bowl out!
Come here, sweet maid, in the frilly white smock,
Hey, lovely maid in a pretty white dress,
Come trip to the door and trip back the lock!
Please open and lock the door for us so we can come in and celebrate with you!
Come trip to the door and pull back the pin,
Please unlock the door so we can come in and celebrate with you!
And let us jolly wassailers in.
Please let us, the happy and cheerful wassailers in to have a great time with you!
Contributed by Addison H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.