Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Here's a Health to the Company ...

Here's a good finishing-off song. I have a set of words transcribed from the excellent singing of Louis Killen accompanied by an ensemble called The Revels.

One of the better renditions I have found on youtube is this one - Here's a Health ...
Louis does it better.
Can we?

These are the lyrics I use:

Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme.
Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine.
We’ll drink and be merry, from grief we’ll refrain,
For we know not when we will all meet again.

Here's a health to the company and one to my lass.
We’ll drink and be merry all out of one glass.
We’ll drink and be merry, from grief we’ll refrain,
For we know not when we will all meet again.

Here's a health to the dear lass that I love so well.
For spirit her beauty, there’s none can excel.
She smiles on my countenance as she sits on my knee.
There is no one on Earth that’s as happy as we.

Here's a health to the company ...

Our ship lies at harbour and she's ready to dock.
I wish her safe landing without any shock.
And if I should leave you by land or by sea,
I will always remember your kindness to me.

Here's a health to the company ...

Here's a health to the company ...

... ad inf.

6 comments:

Parkingspaceman said...

This is rather too gender-specific for these modern times. Whilst female homosexuals might be happy to sing about their 'lass', the male equivalents might feel, perhaps justifiably, excluded. I can't think of a one-syllable word (apart from 'friend') which could be substituted for 'lass' that would avoid this problem.
A different song would be, perhaps, the best solution.

The City Folk Club said...

I take your point.
This is a traditional song. Use your imagination. Perhaps the singer could be a gender-substituted cabin-boy.

Parkingspaceman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Parkingspaceman said...

I am not acquainted with any such cabin-boys. Given, as they are, to their exposing a snowy-white* breast, could you pass on any phone numbers, please?
* a quite different shade from 'wet tripe by moonlight', of course.

Parkingspaceman said...

BTW, The Revels originated in Minnesota in 1971 and were/are an arts group, aiming to "celebrate the seasons in performance through the power of traditional song, dance, storytelling and ritual from cultures around the world".

The City Folk Club said...

... and I thought they were simply advertising some miniscule form of chocolate confectionary!