Twelve Days of Christmas

Day 12 - Wassail! Wassail! All Over The Town (The Gloucester Wassail)

Through the years there have been many different variations of the lyrics, chorus, and number of stanzas sung for The Gloucester Wassail, depending on the historical time period, geographic location, and individual circumstance. The underlying tune used for the lyrics has also altered considerably, depending on similar factors. However the current version of the tune is documented to have existed for at least several hundred years. The sheet music published in William Henry Husk's Songs of the Nativity (1868), which contains the oldest reference of it being sung (in the 1790s), resembles the modern version, and in the oldest known sheet music publication in the Times Telescope (1813), the tune also resembles the one still sung today. (note from Wikipedia)

Refrain

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,

Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl it is made of the white (green) maple tree;

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

1. Here's to our horse, and to his right ear,

God send our master a happy new year:

A happy new year as e'er he did see,

With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.  Refrain

2. So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek

Pray God send our master a good piece of beef

And a good piece of beef that may we all see

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.  Refrain

3. Here's to our mare, and to her right eye,

God send our mistress a good Christmas pie;

A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see,

With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.  Refrain

4. So here is to Broad Mary and to her broad horn

May God send our master a good crop of corn

And a good crop of corn that may we all see

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.  Refrain

5. And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear

Pray God send our master a happy New Year

And a happy New Year as e'er he did see

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.  Refrain

6. Here's to our cow, and to her long tail,

God send our master us never may fail

Of a cup of good beer: I pray you draw near,

And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.

7. Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best

Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest

But if you do draw us a bowl of the small

Then down shall go butler, bowl and all.

8. Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock,

Who tripp'd to the door and slipp'd back the lock;

Who tripp'd to the door and pull'd back the pin,

For to let these jolly Wassailers walk in.

9. Be here any maids? I suppose here be some;

Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold stone!

Sing hey O, maids! come trole back the pin,

And the fairest maid in the house let us all in.

10. Here's to Dobbin, and to his right ear,

God send our master a happy New Year;

A happy New Year as e'er he did see

With my Wassailing Bowl I drink to thee.

11. Here's a health to the ox and to his right eye,

Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,

A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see

In the Wassail bowl we'll drink unto thee

12. Here's a health to the ox and to his right horn,

Pray God send our master a good crop of corn,

A good crop of corn as e'er I did see,

In the Wassail bowl we'll drink unto thee

13. Here's a health to the ox and to his long tail,

Pray God send our master a good cask of ale,

A good cask of ale as e'er I did see,

In the Wassail bowl we'll drink unto thee

14 . . . and many others . . .

Wassail! Wassail! All Over The Town - The Waverly Consort [Refrain, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Wassail! Wassail! All Over The Town - The Longest Johns [Refrain, 2, 10, 7, 8]

Wassail! Wassail! All Over The Town - arr. by Ralph Vaughan Williams [Refrain, 11, 12, 13, 7, 8]