LYRICS

1.Oh the holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
Oh the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing all in the choir
2.Oh the holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet saviour
3.Oh the holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
4.Oh the holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn
5.Oh the holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all
Hail smiling morn, smiling morn
That tips the hills with gold,
That tips the hills with gold
And whose rosy fingers open wide
The gates of Heav’n,
The gates of Heav’n,
And whose rosy fingers open wide
The gates of Heav’n?
All the green fields of nature doth unfold
All the green fields of nature doth unfold
At whose bright presence
Darkness flies away
Flies away (flies away)
Flies away (flies away)
Darkness flies away
Darkness flies away
At whose bright presence
Darkness flies
Darkness flies away
Flies away, flies away
Hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail!
Come, see the boys go round
How sweet the music flows
Bring forth the plough to break the ground
Raise up the shining Rose
1.When Christmastide is gone and past
When fields lie stark and bare
Then let us brave the winter’s blast
Without a fear or care
Without a fear or care my boys
Let each with one accord
Now dance the round on frozen ground
With ribbons, drum and sword
2.Now first of all comes Besom Bess
A-sweeping with her broom
To drive out winter’s cold distress
To clear and make the room
To clear and make the room my boys
That we may sport and play
With swords that clash and brightly flash
Upon this holiday
3.Let Lord and Lady start the game
Let Tom Fool sing the song
That wakes those heroes of great fame
Who roll the year along
Who roll the year along my boys
For only they know how
The plough becomes the shining sword
The sword becomes the plough
4.Now enter in those heroes bold,
Those heroes of great fame
Their forefathers in days of old
Each bore a glorious name
Each bore a glorious name my boys
Likewise a shining blade
They leap and spin, the swords go in
And thus the Rose is made!
1.Across the plains one Christmas night
Three drovers riding blithe and gay,
Looked up and saw a starry light
More radiant than the Milky Way;
And on their hearts such wonder fell,
They sang with joy
‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’
2.The air was dry with summer heat,
And smoke was on the yellow moon;
But from the heavens, faint and sweet,
Came floating down a wond’rous tune;
And as they heard, they sang full well
Those drovers three
‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’
3.The black swans flew across the sky,
The wild dog called across the plain,
The starry lustre blazed on high,
Still echoed on the heavenly strain;
And still they sang, ‘Noel! Noel!’
Those drovers three
‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’
1.O Shepherd O shepherd come leave off your piping
Come listen come learn come hear what I say
For now is the time that has long been forespoken
For now is the time there’ll be new tunes to play
For soon there comes one who brings a new music
Of sweetness and clarity none can compare
So open your heart for heavenly harmony
Here on this hill will be filling the air
With chariots of cherubim chanting
And seraphim singing hosanna
And a choir of archangels a-caroling come
Hallelujah Hallelu
All the angels a-trumpeting glory
In praise of the Prince of Peace
2.See on yon stable the starlight is shimmering
And glimmering and glistening and glowing with glee
In Bethlehem blest this baby of bliss will be
Born here before you as bold as can be
And you’ll be the first to hear the new symphony
Songs full of gladness and glory and light
So learn your tunes well and play your pipes proudly
For the Prince of Paradise plays here tonight
3.Bring your sheep bleating to this happy meeting
To hear how the lamb with the lion shall lie
It’s mooing and braying you’ll hear the song saying
The humble and lowly will be the most high
Let the horn of the herdsman be heard up in heaven
For the gates are flung open for all who come near
And the simplest of souls shall sing to infinity
Lift up and listen and you shall hear
4.The warmonger’s charger will thunder for freedom
The gun-maker’s furnace will dwindle and die
And muskets and sabers and swords shall be sundered
Surrendered to the sound that is sweeping the sky
And the shoes of the mighty shall dance to new measures
And the jackboots of generals shall jangle no more
As sister and brother and father and mother
Agree with each other the end to all war
5.As a candle can conquer the demons of darkness
As a flame can keep frost from the deepest of cold
So a song can give hope in the depths of all danger
And a line of pure melody soar in your soul
So sing your songs well and sing your songs sweetly
And swear that your singing it never shall cease
So the clatter of battle and drums of disaster
Be drowned in the sound of the pipes of peace
1.It is so many weeks
Since we’ve seen the evening sun
And solstice time has sung its rhyme
And wassail time is come
Here’s to you and your families,
Young lovers and old friends,
We’ll welcome in the New Year
Now we’ve seen the old one end.
2.So here we come a wandering
Upon this wintry night
And here we come a-wassailing
To make the future bright
3.God bless the old and weary
Whose times is nearly run
And all the unsung carers
Who are paid a paltry sum
4.And God bless the young and hearty,
Whose futures are unclear
We wish them work and plenty
And a prosperous New Year
5.So think on those who have no home
Who sleep from door to door
And damn the rich and famous,
Who greed for more and more
6.God damn the politicians
Who lie and cheat each day
And damn the institutions
Who help them on their way
7.God bless the keepers of this pub
And all who dwell within
So raise your glass and raise your voice
And sing the New Year in
8.The old year’s gone forever,
God bless it and good cheer
I’ll raise my glass and wish you all
A happy New Year
1.While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
2.“Fear not”, said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
To you and all mankind.”
3.“To you in David’s town this day
Is born of David’s line,
A Saviour who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign.”
4.“All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Good-will henceforth from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease.”
1.When I sit down at my table,
Clasp my hands and bow my head
Should I thank my heavenly landlord
For my daily crust of bread
When the hunters in his stable
And the hounds in his pack
Get the pickings of the harvest
On which I break my back
There’s a fence around the common land
Put there by the law
It’s called hunting if you’re gentry
But it’s poaching if you’re poor
And the law forgives your trespass
Like the hounds forgive the fox
You must number all your blessings
With the ha’pence in your box
And it feels like winter spit to eat and hell to pay
It feels like Reynardine on Boxing Day
It feels like winter spit to eat and hell to pay
It feels like Reynardine on Boxing Day
2.Now the forest is a shipwreck
And the field is full of stone
It’s hard to find a blade of grass
Some bastard doesn’t own
And they stopped the earth up for us
And they drove us into town
Now they say there’s no work for us
And they’ve closed the factory down
3.They’re still meeting in the country
For the hunt and for the course
You can join the bloody gentry
If you can afford a bleedin’ horse
And we raid along the railway
And we pray we don’t get caught
God damn you merry gentlefolk
For your money and your sport
4.When I sit down at my table,
Clasp my hands and bow my head
Should I thank my heavenly landlord
For my daily crust of bread
For the whip and hand that feeds us
And keeps us in our place
One day we’ll turn and wipe the smile
Clean off your bloody face
1.I saw a fair maiden
Sitten and sing:
She lulled a little child,
A sweete Lording
Lullay my liking,
My dear Son, my Sweeting;
Lullay my dear Heart,
Mine own dear Darling.
2.That Eternal Lord is He
That made alle thing;
Of alle Lordes He is Lord,
Of every King He’s King.
3.There was mickle melody
At that childes birth:
Though the songsters were heavenly
They made mickle mirth.
4.Angels bright they sang that night
And saiden to that Child
“Blessed be Thou and so be she
That is so meek and mild.”
5.Pray we now to that child,
As to His Mother dear,
God grant them all His blessing
That now maken cheer.
1.Now all around is cold and chill,
But take good heart, fear no ill,
For through the frost of winter
Comes a bright new year.
A bright new year,
A bright new year
For through the frost of winter
Comes a bright new year.
2.Food and drink to make us grow,
Swell the seed that we would sow,
So comes the rain in springtime
And a bright new year.
A bright new year,
A bright new year
So comes the rain in springtime
And a bright new year.
3.Warmth and light to make us strong,
Bring the ripest fruit along
So comes the sun in summer
And a bright new year.
4.When harvest time has gone around
Blow out the chaff, clear the ground
So comes the wind in autumn
And a bright new year.
5.So when all around is cold and chill,
Take good heart, fear no ill,
For through the frost of winter
Comes a bright new year.
1.All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall,
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,
And crown Him Lord of all!
2.Ye saints redeemed of Adam’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by his grace,
3.Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
The wormwood and the gall;
Go spread your trophies at his feet,
4.O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall,
We at His feet may fall;
Join in the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all,
And crown Him Lord of all,
And crown Him Lord of all,
And crown Him Lord of all.
For Rosa Luxemburg, March 1871 – January 1919
1.Sweet rosemary flowers, what a strange time for blooming
I thought her like a rosebud seen only in June
In coarse January with springtime a memory
What a strange time for levity, what a strange time to bloom
For we’ve been too long crying lamenting and sighing
For loves that have wandered and might be home soon
Though winter it glowers and the rich steal our powers
Sweet rosemary flowers, what a strange time to bloom.
2.Perhaps she laments for the loss of a true love
And wishes to woo if they ever return
Perhaps she remembers our comrades who hunger
For a garden of flowers, for the freedom of a bird
3.Perhaps in the darkness, the moonlight, the quiet
The wounded our riotous roots may exhume
To grant when awoken to longings unspoken
To hearts that are broken, their strange time to bloom
4.Sweet rosemary flowers, what a strange time for blooming
I thought her like a rosebud seen only in June
But springtime or autumn, grant all hearts a garden
And all Rosa’s children their strange time to bloom.
1.‘Glory to God’, the angels sing,
‘Glad tidings, lo, I bring,
Glad tidings, lo, I bring!
In David’s city lies a babe,
And Jesus is the child,
And Jesus is the child,
And Jesus is the child’.
2.‘Glory to God’, let man reply,
‘For Christ, the Lord, is come,
For Christ, the Lord, is come;
Behold him in a manger lie,
A stable is His room,
A stable is His room,
A stable is His room’.
3.‘Glory to God, let all the earth
Join in the heavenly song,
Join in the heavenly song,
And praise Him for our Saviour’s birth
In every land and tongue,
In every land and tongue,
In every land and tongue!’
1.Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
2.All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
3.Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
“Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”
4.Then all the reindeers loved him
And they shouted out with glee
“Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
You’ll go down in history!”

Morning’s come and Mariah’s gone
Morning’s come and Mariah’s gone
Morning’s come and Mariah’s gone
And it’s early in the morning.
Oh she’s gone and I can’t go….
Never did I know her mind….
Trouble, trouble is my name…
Lay by your pleading, law lies a-bleeding
Burn all your studies down, and throw away your reading
Small power the word has, and can afford us
Not half so much privilege as the sword does
It’ll the foster the master, plaster disaster
This’ll make a servant quickly greater than the master
Ventures, enters, seeks and it centres
Ever the upper hand, never the dissenter
Kruger, Krugerrand-a, whither do you wander?
Gone to the suborning of Hastings Banda
Kruger Krugerrand-a, tear you all asunder
Beira to Luanda, Gaborone to Nyanga
Talks of small things, it sets up all things
This’ll master money, though money masters all things
It is not season to talk of reason
Never call it loyal when the sword says treason
Balm for the whaler, balm for the the furrier
This’ll get the measure of an eco warrior
Incognito, come and sink a Rainbow
President will never know, I should bloody coco
Build a drone, fly it, governments will buy it
Devils in the desert sand give us a chance to try it
Don’t need their ident, propaganda strident
Blow them up remotely with a Hellfire or a Trident.
Subtle deceiver turns calm to fever
See the pilgrim flay the unbeliever
It’ll make a lay man preach and to pray man
It’ll make a Lord of him that was but a drayman
Conquers the crown too, grave and the gown too
Set you up a province but it’ll pull it down too
No gospel can guide it, no law decide it
In church or state, till the sword sanctified it
Take books, rent ’em, who can invent ’em?
When that the sword says there’ll be no argumentum
Blood that is spilt, sir, has gained all the guilt, sir
Thus have you seen me run my sword up to the hilt, sir
Hand me down some changing rhyme
Some embraces never bind
Oh hand me down your dancing line
Then I’ll know I’m home
Then I’ll know I’m home
When I arrived in this old town
Hand me down oh hand me down
When I arrived in this old town
Some forty voices they gathered round
And I was coming home
I was coming home
Some go ahead, some stay behind
Hand me down oh hand me down
Some go ahead, some stay behind
We navigate by the souls we find
And I am coming home
I am coming home
I’m navigating by one more star
Hand me down oh hand me down
I’m navigating by one more star
It’s shining bright to show I’ve come this far
And I am coming home
I am coming home
Nightmares, Mother had, of navvies in the cellar
And dark eyes looking through the window outside
How we used to vex her, how we used to taunt her
How we would laugh and chant to her dismay
‘Ware out Mother there’s a navvy in the cellar
and two more looking through the window outside
Mother heard there was to be a river builded
Just a stone’s throw away from the window outside
How we hugged each other, as we told our mother
“It’s a canal, there’ll be navigators too.”
We told Mother there’d be barges full of jewels
And wondrous things past the window outside
But where’s this river from? we said it flows from China
“Woah” thought Mom, “there’ll be alligators too.”
One night Jimmy led the navvies into town
and they looked like beggars through the window outside
There were navvies in the ale house, arguments and street fights,
Mother was delicate, she stayed in bed all week
One night Jimmy had a gentle way with words
and more pairs of hands than was decent, alright.
“Will you come along, me saucy little Susie,
Just let me put a few arms around your waist.”
Soon our mother saw the navvy with her daughter
and she locked her up in the cellar downstairs
“Do you come along, me naughty filthy hussy,
Else I’ll put this stick about your back.”
Jim gave a wink, or it might have been a blink,
and he organised a tunnel ‘neath the window outside
Not a body saw them, then they struck foundations
“Right” thought Jim, “I shall blow little hole.”
Muffled bang, and there was dust and rubble everywhere
And Jim was in the cellar of his Susie once more
How they hugged each other, yet no-one told our mother
She still has her dreams, yet she’s never learnt the truth.
When I was a little girl I knew that I could do it all
Now that I’m a woman grown, I just want some time at home
All my life is hurrying, worrying
All my life is busy ’cause I just can’t let go
When I was young and in my prime I’d read to while away the time
Now the books stay on the shelf, the laundry doesn’t do itself
I once had freedom every day to choose when I would rest and play
Now my time’s not mine alone, a mother’s work is never done
Stress and headaches sometimes hit, knock me back a little bit
I’ve got to change before I break or kill myself with too much cake
I sowed the seeds of love
It was all in the spring
In April May and in June likewise
While small birds sweetly sing
My garden was planted well
With flowers everywhere
But I hadn’t the liberty to choose for myself
The flowers that I loved dear
My gardener he stood by
And I asked him to choose for me
He chose me the violet the lily and the pink
But those I refused all three
In June there’s a red rose bud
And that’s the flower for me
For often have I plucked at the red rose bud
Til I gained the willow tree
Come all you false young men
Don’t leave me to complain
For grass that has often been trampled underfoot
Given time it will rise again
What mired Jonah’s creature
To see her rise no more?
What fate conspired to breach her
One hundred miles from shore?
For our children stand in silence
And view her bones in awe
This heart unreal, these ribs of steel
Shall sleep and rise no more
Rise no more oh rise no more
We shall not meet my friend on Canaan’s shore
Where heav’nly arcs our souls restore
So sleep and rise no more
Like a drunken man still drowning
Work’s thirst long gone before
The veins within her pounding
Not blood but molten ore
For she drew no dragon’s bonus
To burn all England’s poor
All those who bleed this earth for greed
Go sleep and rise no more
The legend of her shining
Dark carols only sing
Of casting ore and grinding
The echoes only ring
Bright tears upon us raining
From steelos gone before
For all that streamed is nought but dream
So sleep and rise no more
The Widow Cross had but one son and indeed he was his mother’s pride and joy
So she knitted him a gansey, cable stitched both fine and fancy
and it looked like royal robes upon the boy
How we knew his bright blue eyes
How we knew his golden hair
And the gansey that his mother madewas fine beyond compare
Tall and bright was Davy Cross, with a smiling face that never bore a frown
How the lasses smiled and sighed, at his strong and manly stride
On a Friday when the fishing fleet left town
For they…
At the dance on Saturday, the lasses fairly swooned to dance with him
How they fluttered at his charms, as he held them in his arms,
And their hearts beat faster at his boyish grin
For they…
Then one dark October day, there came a storm which drove us hard to lea
And our fishing fleet was tossed, yet just one single craft was lost
Leaving Widow Cross a gazing out to sea
Well she…
When just ten weeks had passed and gone, they finally brought us news about the loss
Seemed a body had been found, of a sailor lost and drowned
And in our hearts we knew ’twas Davy Cross
For we…
But it wasn’t eyes of blue, nor that hair as pale as foam
It was the gansey that his mother made that brought young Davy home
It’s one day we’ll go sailing
Just you my love and I
We’ll take us down to the waters
Where fair the waters lie
And then with good intentions
We’ll try our debts to pay
But the sun will swing the seasons
And ever win the day
Then one day we’ll go flying
Get closer to the stars
And pray that those in spaceships
will leave them as they are
Then one day we’ll start building
We’ll use what comes to hand
We’ll twine what needs entwining
And bind what needs a band
Once there was a man and he had no song
He felt his head was empty and his voice was wrong
And though he often tried, his songs were trapped inside
He couldn’t find the place where they belong
But raise your voice with mine
For now’s the perfect time to join the song
Once there was a woman and her songs were loud
She sang them in the shower and she sang them proud
But when her friends were near, her voice it shrank with fear
And left her shaking mute before the crowd
But raise…
Now if you want to sing but don’t know how or why
Don’t listen to the ones who say you should not try
There’s bound to be a way you’ve not tried before today
To free your voice to soar beneath the sky
So raise…
Once there was a singer and he made his choice
To leave his doubts behind him and to find his voice
The journey that he’s on is to learn just one more song
And sing it out and make his friends rejoice
So raise…

Well I was not bound for Eden and my bag became a burden
So here I made my garden where the banks of burdocks grow
And there was no gold or silver where the foundry meets the river
In the land of Santa Georgia where the banks of burdocks grow
Where old panes are broken and a thousand tongues are spoken
And new saints awaken where the banks of burdocks grow
So farewell cold winter we will all shine out together
In the land of Santa Georgia where the banks of burdocks grow
Well there is no peace or plenty in the land of old Brigante
But the rain falls down so gently where the banks of burdocks grow
And a fond lover’s sweetness is a lantern in the darkness
Is a grand and burning furnace where the banks of burdocks grow
Where old panes are broken …
Well the king he sent his army from the land of old Brigante
And the soldiers they were weary where the banks of burdocks grow
So they stormed the temple quarter and the glass fell down like water
In the land of Santa Georgia where the banks of burdocks grow
Now old panes are broken…
On the road to old Brigando where the factory meets the meadow
There’s a lantern in my window where the banks of burdocks grow
And a thousand trees are planted in the land of old Brigante
In the land of Santa Georgia where the banks of burdocks grow
Where old panes are broken …
Where old panes are broken …
On the 21st of October before the rising sun
We formed the line for action me boys at twelve o clock begun
Brave Nelson to his men did say “The Lord will prosper us this day,
Give then the broadside, fire away”
On board a man of war
So broadside to broadside our cannon balls did fly
Like hail stones their small shot around our decks did lie
Our mast and rigging were shot away, besides some thousands in that fray
Were killed and wounded on that day
On board a man of war
But then our brave commander in grief he shook his head
“There is no reprieve, there is no relief, great Nelson he is dead,
It was a fatal musket ball that caused our Hero for to fall
But he died in peace, God bless you all”
On board a man of war
And the merchants of Yarmouth when they did hear it so
They said “Come, brother sailors, to church now let us go,
There we will build a noble pile, all for the hero of the Nile,
Who gave his life for England’s Isle:
On board a man of war
Now our soldiers and sailors many noble deeds have done
While fighting in foreign, many battles they have won
If the Nile it could witness there or the Cape of Trafalgar declare
There is none with Nelson could compare
On board a man of war
See how the season is starting something
The swift unearthing of a summer long
And thrifty voices do greet the dawning
With fifty verses of a longer song
On yonder alder the red wood growing
As he grows older does grow more grand
His bark and berries do soothe the sorrows
Of every woman and every man
See how the season …
The sea remembers on an eve in August
Our driftwood fire like a burning man
We blew the embers and in the morning
Had fishes flying into the pan
See how the season …
The stars are burning to light the evening
And a clifftop morning will breeze along
Just fifty turnings in a longer living
Just fifty verses of a longer song
Just fifty turnings in a longer living
Just fifty verses of a longer song
See how the season …
See how the season …
On a Winter’s day I walked alone
The coldest day of all the year
And I wished that I had for my own
A sweetheart who would be my dear
Oh wedding bells ring out one day of joy
Oh wedding bells ring out one day of joy
On a day in Spring ‘neath skies so clear
I met my love for the very first time
And my heart was filled with joy and cheer
That I was his and he was mine
Oh wedding bells…
On a Summer’s day the sun did shine
We shared our thoughts and did agree
That evermore our hearts would twine
And therefore married we should be
Oh wedding bells…
This Autumn day as all can see
We stand together clasping hands
In front of friends and family
Are joined as one with marriage bands
Oh wedding bells…
Oh wedding bells…
Are you going to Bampton Fair?
Get your beer down Bob, we’re moving
Are you going to Bampton Fair, boy?
We’ll go to the fair like we’ve always done
Get in the car and give it a run
Get a few friends and have some fun
Down at the Bampton Fair, boy, down at the Bampton Fair
Who did you see at the Bampton Fair…
Young ones, old ones, me and you
Travellers, farmers, visitors too
They even had a TV crew
Down at the Bampton Fair…
What did you buy at the Bampton Fair…
A crockery set that has no cups
A brand new shirt that has no cuffs
A bloomin’ old grai that has no puff
Down at the Bampton Fair…
What did you drink at the Bampton Fair…
Twenty-one pints and one for me head
A scotch or a brandy or a port instead
All served up in a muddy old shed
Down at the Bampton Fair…
What did you get at the Bampton Fair…
Two black eyes and a broken nose
I caught a cold and I damn near froze
A bump on the head and I tore me clothes
Down at the Bampton Fair…
Will you go next year to Bampton Fair…
If the pubs are open and the beer is free
If the landlord says “It’s all on me”
If I can’t think of anywhere else to be
I’ll go to Bampton Fair, boy,
Go to Bampton Fair, boy, to Bampton Fair
There was a wife of Castlegate but I’ll not tell of her name,
She is both brisk and buxom and she likes the fumbling game
She can nip and she can trip me boys as she goes over the plain
‘Til she meets with a jolly boating man and she’s off with him again
He says “Me Molly, honey, oh could you fancy me
Come on up to my ship’s cabin and contented we will be
For I have got gold and silver and of you I will take care
And a whopping great pair of horns my love your husband he will wear
“For your husband he’s a silly old fool and he’s blind as blind can be
And so to wear the horns me love contended he will be
He can wiggle them at his leisure, he can do the best he can
While his wife takes her pleasure with the jolly boating man
“Well at Pomfret clock and tower, me love, there’s silver in great store
And I wish that we could go there, for then we’d have us some more
And we’ll sup on wine and whisky, we’ll have beer and ale in store
Here’s a health to lads and lasses and great tipplers evermore.”
There was a wife…
We shepherds are the best of men that e’er trod English ground
When we come to an alehouse we value not one crown
We spends our money freely; and we pay before we go
For there’s no ale on the wold where the stormy winds do blow.
For there’s no ale on the wold…
A man that is a shepherd does need a valiant heart
He must not be faint-hearted but boldly play his part
He must not be faint-hearted be it rain or frost or snow
With no ale on the wold where the stormy winds do blow
He must not be faint hearted…
When I kept sheep on Blockley Hill it caused my heart to beat
To see the ewes hang out their tongues and hear the lambs to bleat
So I plucked up my courage and o’er the hills did go
And penned them in, in the fold where the stormy winds do blow
So I plucked up my courage…
As soon as I had folded them I turned my back in haste
Unto some jovial company, good liquor for to taste
For drink and jovial company, they are my heart’s delight
While my sheep lie asleep all the fore-part of the night.
For drink and jovial company…
Come and I will sing you
What will you sing me?
I will sing you one-oh
What is your one-oh?
One is one and all alone and evermore shall be so
…Two is for the lilly-white babes, covered all in green-oh
…Three of them are strangers
…Four for the gospel makers
…Five for the symbol at your door
…Six for the charming waters
…Seven for the seven stars in the sky
…Eight for the eight bold rangers
…Nine for the nine bright shiners
…Ten for the ten commandments
…Eleven maidens all in a dance
…Twelve for the twelve apostles
When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced
Live your life so that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.
Bright morning star’s arising
Bright morning star’s arising
Bright morning star’s arising
Day is a-breaking in my soul
Oh where are our dear fathers?…
Some are down the the valley praying …
Some are gone to heaven shouting…
Bright morning star’s arising…