Gower Wassail

The Gower Wassail is a wassail song from Gower in Wales, UK. It is printed in A.L. Lloyd's book Folk Song in England (1967), having been heard from Phil Tanner. The song takes its tune and structure from the Irish traditional song Here's A Health, in the same vein as The Liberty Song.

The majority of versions of the song begin with the same two stanzas, although pronouns (i.e. you, we, your, our, etc.) vary. Following the second verse and chorus, the number of stanzas and their order vary from version to version. The primary difference between the lyrics that appear here is that one version is a dialogue between the wassailers and the master and mistress they are appealing to for hospitality. The other version is sung from the wassailers’ perspective alone. All the known stanzas are included below.

Fol de dol de dol fol de dol de de
Fol de da ro fol de da di
Sing tu re lye do

Dal di dal di dal
Dal di dal di dee
Sing deero, sing daddy
Sing too ral di do

Opening Stanzas
A-wassail, a-wassail throughout all the town
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown
Our wassail is made of the good ale and cake (too)
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best you can bake (do)

Our wassail is made of the elderberry bough
And so my good neighbors we'll drink unto thou
Besides all on earth, you have apples in store
Pray let us come in for it's cold by the door

Now master and mistress let your company forbear
To fill up our wassail with you cider and beer
We want none of your pale beer, nor none of your small
But a drop of your kilderkin, that's next to the wall

Now master and mistress if you are within
Pray send out your maid with her lily-white skin
For to open the door without more delay
For our time it is precious and we cannot stay

Master & Mistress
You've brought your wassail, which is very well known
But I can assure you we've as good of our own
As for your jolly wassail, we care not one pin
But its for your good company we'll let you come in

Together
Here's a health to our Cooley and her croo'ed horn
May God send her Master a good crop of corn
Of barley and wheat and all sorts of grain
May God send her Mistress a long life to reign

Carolers
Now Master and Mistress, know you will give
Unto our jolly wassail as long as you live
And if we do life to another new year
We'll call in again just to see who lives here

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Wikipedia