Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl

Subject: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 04:54 AM

Anyone have the full words for this one please?

There's a version in DT but not the one I'm looking for.

The chorus goes:

For tonight we'll merry merry be
For tonight we'll merry merry be
For tonight we'll merry merry be
Tomorrow we'll be sober

Some half remembered verses are:

Here's to the girl who drinks strong ale
And goes home to her mother
Here's to the girl who drinks strong ale
And goes home to her mother
She is ??????
She is ??????
She is ??????
She is ??????
She'll never get another

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 04:56 AM

There's a similar version HERE

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 05:01 AM

Superb Martin!

Cheers for rapid response- its near enpough the one I meant- just have to tweak it a little.

Thanks a lot.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Micca
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 05:47 AM

Mr H, I will put up the slightly different/longer version I have at home when I get in from work this afternoon, it includes the 2 "modern"(ish) additions
"If I had another brick I'd build my chimney higher.."
and " Come into the garden Maud and don't be so particular"

Subject: Lyr Add: COME LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 05:59 AM

Is the one you meant Micca?? I found it in a search of the DT and Forum!! I think it was sung at the Loughstock gathering this year!!!

COME LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL

Three jolly coachmen sat in a Bristol Tavern
Three jolly coachmen sat in a Bristol Tavern
And they decided ,
And they decided
And they decided
To have another flagon

Landlord fill the flowing bowl,
Until it doth run over
Come Landlord fill the flowing bowl,
Until it doth run over
For tonight we'll merry, merry be.
For tonight we'll merry, merry be.
For tonight we'll merry, merry be.
Tomorrow we'll be sober

Here's to the man who drinks small beer
And goes to bed quite sober,
Here's to the man who drinks small beer
And goes to bed quite sober,
Fade's as the leaves do fade
Fade's as the leaves do fade
Fade's as the leaves do fade
And drop off in October

Here's to the man who drinks strong ale
And goes to bed quite mellow,
Here's to the man who drinks strong ale,
And goes to bed quite mellow.
Lives as he ought to live
Lives as he ought to live
Lives as he ought to live
And dies a jolly good fellow-


Here's to the girl who steals a kiss,
And runs to tell her mother
Here's to the girl who steals a kiss,
And runs to tell her mother
She's a very foolish thing,
She's a very foolish thing,
She's a very foolish thing,
She'll never get another.

Here's to the girl who steals a kiss,
And runs back for another
Here's to the girl who steals a kiss,
And runs back for another
She's a boon to all mankind
She's a boon to all mankind
She's a boon to all mankind
She'll very soon she'll be a mother-

If I had another brick
I'd build by chimney higher
If I had another brick
I'd build by chimney higher
It would stop my neighbour's cat,
It would stop my neighbour's cat,
It would stop my neighbour's cat,
From pissing on my fire

Come, into the garden Maude
And don't be so particular
Come, into the garden Maude
And don't be so particular
If the grass is cold and damp,
If the grass is cold and damp,
If the grass is cold and damp,
We'll do it perpendicular.



Final Chorus
Landlord fill the flowing bowl,
Until it doth run over
Come Landlord fill the flowing bowl,
Until it doth run over
For tonight we'll merry, merry be.
For tonight we'll merry, merry be.
For tonight we'll merry, merry be.
Tomorrow we're Hungover

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 06:15 AM

LOL!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 06:29 AM

These editions are at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

come landlord fill a flowing bowl [title]

come landlord fill the flowing bowl [title]

flowing bowl [title]

landlord fill a flowing bowl [title]

landlord fill the flowing bowl [tune]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Micca
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 07:52 AM

Yeah Thats it Khatt, Verbatim I must have posted it before and it was harvested

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 08:10 AM

Thats the version I know Catts - Was all set to post it when I saw you'd beaten me to it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 09:18 AM

Its the version I know too Terry...have heard it at alot of festivals and singarounds!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Joe_F
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 06:40 PM

As printed in the University of St. Andrews Students' Union Song Book (1958) & sung at St Andrews about that time, it had the chorus

Wake for the fal-lal-lal-lal-lido,
Wake for the fal-lal-lal-lal-lido,
Wake for the fal-lal-lal-lal-lay!
To-morrow is a holiday.

Most of the stanzas are standard & pretty much as above, but the last one is

Whisky is the remedy
For every kind of evil;
But in the course of time,
It sends you to the deevil.

A U.S. college version in The New Song Fest (1954) has this follow-up to the "runs & tells his mother" stanza:

The little boy who gets a kiss and runs and tells his brother
Does a very useful thing, and brother gets another.

It also has three stanzas for skiers, and one for lumberjacks.

Subject: Tune Add: LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 11:10 PM

From The Most Popular College Songs, revised eiditon (New York: Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, 1904, 1906, p. 4), where the first note was D, which I have changed to F according to Carmina Princetonia (21st ed., 1927, p. 126):

X:1
T:Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl
M:2/4
L:1/8
B: The Most Popular College Songs, 1906, p. 4
K:Bb
F|B F D F|B B B B|c c c f|d2 B||
w:1.Come, land-lord, fill the flow-ing bowl, Un-til it doth run o-ver,
w:2.The man that drinks good whis-key punch, And goes to bed right mel-low,
w:3.The man who drinks cold wa-ter pure, And goes to bed quite so-ber,
F|(B F) (D F)|B B B B|c c c f|d2 B2||
w:Come, land-lord, fill the flow-ing bowl, Un-til it doth run o-ver.
w:Lives as_ he_ ought to live, And dies a jol-ly fel-low.
w:Falls as_ the_ leaves do fall, So rare-ly in Oc-to-ber.
d3/2 d/ d d|e/ e/ e/ e/ e2|c3/2 c/ c c|d/ d/ d/ d/ d2|
w:For to-night we'll mer-ry, mer-ry be, For to-night we'll mer-ry, mer-ry be,
B3/2 B/ B B|c/ c/ c/ c/ c B|A F G A|B2 B|]
w:For to-night we'll mer-ry, mer-ry be, To-mor-row we'll be so-ber.
W:
W:4. But he who drinks just what he likes,
W:And getteth "half seas over,"
W:Will live until he dies, perhaps,
W:And then lie down in clover.
W:
W:5. A pretty girl that gets a kiss,
W:And goes and tells her mother,
W:Does a very foolish thing,
W:And don't deserve another.

Subject: ADD: COME LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 03:21 AM

From The Scottish Students' Song Book (Bayley & Ferguson, 1891, 1897, pp. 186-87):

X:2
T:Come, Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl
M:2/4
L:1/8
B:The Scottish Students' Song Book, pp. 186-87
K:A
A|c A A A|(E E) A A|B B B e|c2 A A|
w:1.Come, land-lord, fill the flow-ing bowl, Un-til it doth run o-ver, Come
c A A A|(E A) A A|B B B B|c2 A2|
w:land-lord, fill the flow-ing bowl Un-til it doth run o-ver,
(c3/2 c/) c3/2 e/|(e/ e/) (d/ d/) d2|(B3/2 B/) B3/2 d/|d/d/ c/c/ c2|
w:For to-night we'll mer-ry, mer-ry be, For to-night we'll mer-ry, mer-ry be,
A3/2 A/ A3/2 c/|c/c/ B/B/ Hd3/2 d/|c B A G|B2 A2||
w:For to-night we'll mer-ry, mer-ry be, To-mor-row we'll be so-ber.
c A3/2 A/ A|A A A A|c B E3/2 E/|E E E E|
w:Wake for the fal-al-al-al-i-do, Wake for the fal-al-al-al-
E d c A/ A/|A A F F|Hd3/2 d/ e3/2 e/|e3/2 d/ c B|A3|]
w:i-do, Wake for the fal-al-al-al-ay! To-mor-row is a ho-li-day.



COME LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL

1.Come, landlord, fill the flowing bowl, Until it doth run over,
Come landlord, fill the flowing bowl Until it doth run over,
For tonight we'll merry, merry be, For tonight we'll merry, merry be,
For tonight we'll merry, merry be, Tomorrow we'll be sober.

Wake for the fal-al-al-al-i-do, Wake for the fal-al-al-al-i-do,
Wake for the fal-al-al-al-ay! To-mor-row is a ho-li-day.

2. The man who drinketh small beer,
And goes to bed quite sober,
Fades as the leaves do fade,
That drop off in October. Chorus.

3. The man who drinketh strong beer,
And goes to bed right mellow,
Lives as he ought to live,
And dies a jolly good fellow. Chorus.

4. But he who drinks just what he likes,
And getteth half-seas over,
Will live until he dies perhaps,
And then lie down in clover. Chorus.

5. The man who kisses a pretty girl,
And goes and tells his mother,
Ought to have his lips cut off,
And never kiss another. Chorus.

Subject: Lyr Add: LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 03:25 PM

This song must be universal, at least English-speakers. I remember singing a garbled fragment in grade school, and was assigned an hour's detention. The teacher had a severe look when I showed up, but soon broke up, and corrected the misheard words I had used.

We sang a simple version, which must have been widespread, since it shows up in the volume "Heart Songs, Melodies of Days Gone By," distributed by the National Magazine (Boston, Mass.) in 1909. Page 141, the page after "Oh, Dear, What can the Matter Be?"

LANDLORD FILL THE FLOWING BOWL

Come landlord, fill the flowing bowl, Until it doth run over, (2x)
For tonight we'll merry, merry be, (3x)
Tomorrow we'll be sober.

The man that drinks good whiskey punch, And goes to bed quite mellow, (2x)
Lives as he ought to live, (3x)
And dies a jolly fellow.

But he who drinks cold water pure, And goes to bed quite sober (2x)
Falls as the leaves do fall, (3x)
So rarely in October.

But he who drinks just what he likes, And getteth "half seas over," (2x)
Will live until he dies, (3x)
(perhaps,) And then lie down in clover.

The pretty girl that gets a kiss, And goes and tells her mother, (2x)
Does a very foolish thing, (3x)
And don't deserve another.

Subject: Lyr Add: COME LANDLORD FILL A FLOWING BOWL
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Feb 04 - 04:51 PM

Transcribed from the broadside at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, Harding B 17(55a).

COME LANDLORD FILL A FLOWING BOWL.

"Printed by T BIRT,
wholesale & retail,
10, Great St Andrew Street
Seven Dials, London.
Country Orders punctually attended to.
Every description of Printing on reasonable terms.
Children's Books, Battledores, Pictures, &c." [1828 or 1829]

Come Landlord fill a flowing bowl,
Until it does run over.
To-night we will merry be,
To-morrow we'll be sober.

He that drinks strong beer,
And goes to bed mellow,
Lives as he ought to live,
And dies a hearty fellow.
                                        Come landlord, &c.

He that drinks small beer,
Goes to bed sober,
Falls as the leaves do,
That die in October.
                                        Come landlord, &c.

Brandy cures the gout,
The colic and the phthisic,
So it is to all men,
The very best of physic.
                                        Come landlord, &c.

He that courts a pretty girl,
And courts her for his pleasure,
Is a fool if he marries her,
Without stores of treasure.
                                        Come landlord, &c.

So now let's dance and sing,
And drive away all sorrow,
For perhaps we may not
Meet again to-morrow.
                                        Come landlord, &c.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Jim McLean
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 11:45 AM

I rang a doorbell this morning and it played the first four bars of 'Come Landlord fill the flowing bowl' ... or at least that's what I thought. The proud Aussie who opened the door informed me it was 'Advance Australia Fair'!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: GUEST,Iasus
Date: 28 Mar 06 - 12:45 PM

This is the version that I learnt with Durham University Treasure Trap (a UK LARP group)

I think it's a very slightly different tune to some of the ones kicking about, because a lot of the words posted about don't quite scan with the tune I know.

There were three jolly coachmen sat in an English tavern (x2)
And they decided (x3)
To have another flagon.

CHORUS:
Come landlord fill my flowing bowl until it doth flow over (x2)
For tonight we'll very merry be (x3)
Tomorrow we'll be sober.

Here's to the man who drinks small beer and goes to bed quite sober (x2)
Falls as the leaves do fall (x3)
He'll die before October.

[chorus]

Here's to the man who drinks strong ale and goes to bed quite mellow (x2)
Lives as he ought to live (x3)
For he's a jolly good fellow.

[chorus]

Here's to the maid who steals a kiss and runs back to her mother (x2)
She's a very foolish girl (x3)
She'll never get another.

[chorus]

Here's to the maid who steals a kiss and comes back for another (x2)
She's a boon to all mankind (x3)
And soon she'll be a mother.

[chorus]

If I had a thousand bricks I'd build my chimney higher (x2)
For to stop the neighbour's cat (x3)
From pissing on my fire

[chorus]

Now come into the garden green,and don't be so particular (x2)
If the grass is cold and damp,(x3)
We'll do it perpendicular.

[chorus]

Come landlord fill my flowing bowl until it doth flow over (x2)
For tonight we'll very merry be (x3)
(slow) Tomorrow we'll be hung over!

~Iasus (Armourer, DUTT)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Artful Codger
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 12:15 PM

source: A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect [p.136], by W. H. Long. Reeves & Turner, London/G.A. Brannon & Co, Isle of Wight, 1886. The verses are similar to those in the broadside cited earlier, but the commentary provides information on the song's origin.

Jolly Fellows.

The music of this song is in Chappell's "Popular Music," but is different and inferior to the tune sung in the Island. The song itself is evidently founded on some verses in Fletcher's play of " The Bloody Brother, or Rollo Duke of Normandy," Act I., scene 2.

" Drink to day and drown all sorrow,
You shall perhaps not do it to-morrow;
But while you have it, use your breath,—
There is no drinking after death.

Wine works the heart up, wakes the wit;
There is no cure 'gainst age but it;
It helps the headache, cough, and tissic,
And is for all diseases physic.

Then let us swill, boys, for our health;
Who drinks well—loves the commonwealth;
And he that will to bed go sober,
Falls with the leaf still in October."

[In singing, the third line of each verse is thrice repeated.]

Come landlord, fill the flowing bowl,
    Until it does run over;
  For to night we'll merry be,
  For to night we'll merry be,
  For to night we'll merry be,
    And to morrow we'll get sober.
  
  He that drinks strong beer,
    And goes to bed mellow,
  Lives as he ought to live,
    And dies a hearty fellow.
  
  But he that drinks small beer,
    And goes to bed sober,
  Falls as the leaves fall,
    That fall in chill October.
  
  Strong beer cures the pout.
    The colic, and the phthisic ;
  And it is for all men
    The very best of physic.
  
  He that courts a pretty girl,
    He courts her for his pleasure;
  Fool if he ever marries her,
    Without great store of treasure.
  
  So now come let us dance and sing,
    And drive away all sorrow ;
  For perhaps we may not
    Meet again to morrow.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE THREE JOLLY POSTBOYS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Feb 09 - 01:22 PM

From Old Coaching Days by Stanley Harris (London: Richard Bentley & Son, 1882)


THE THREE JOLLY POSTBOYS

1. Three jolly postboys drinking at the Dragon,
Three jolly postboys drinking at the Dragon,
And they determined, and they determined,
And they determined to finish out the flagon.

2. Punch cures the gout, the colic, and the phthisic,
Punch cures the gout, the colic, and the phthisic,
And it is allowed to be, and it is allowed to be,
And it is allowed to be the very best of physic.

3. Landlord, fill the bowl till it does flow over,
Landlord, fill the bowl till it does flow over,
For there's not a jolly soul, for there's not a jolly soul,
For there's not a jolly soul that goes to bed sober.

4. He that drinks and goes to bed sober,
He that drinks and goes to bed sober,
Falls as the leaves fall, falls as the leaves fall,
Falls as the leaves fall, and dies in October.

5. He that drinks and goes to bed mellow,
He that drinks and goes to bed mellow,
Lives as he ought to live, lives as he ought to live,
Lives as he ought to live, and dies a jolly fellow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: sapper82
Date: 25 Feb 09 - 03:33 PM

Two verses I made up quite a while ago:

Here's to the lads who dance the Morris,
With bells and sticks a'plenty
Here's to the lads who dance the Morris,
With bells and sticks a'plenty
They are fine upstanding men,
They are fine upstanding men,
They are fine upstanding men,
May their tankards never be empty.

Here's to the girls who Morris Dance,
With smiles upon their faces,
Here's to the girls who Morris Dance,
With smiles upon their faces,
But they look very strange to me,
But they look very strange to me,
But they look very strange to me,
The bounce in all the wrong places!

The last line is accompanied by appropriate hand actions!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: GUEST,Ebor_fiddler
Date: 25 Feb 09 - 06:19 PM

What's the beer that's always best?
Watney's draught Red Barrel.
The flavoured brew that beats the rest?
Watneys draught Red Barrel.
Drink Red Barrel near or far
In pub or club or any bar
It's always best whereever you are
Trust Watney's draught Red Barrel.

The stuff was awful - even by 1960's low standards!

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 25 Jul 23 - 05:04 PM

"The Vocal Miscellany" (1734):

                   Come, let us drink, &c.

Come, let us drink, and drown all Sorrow,
For perhaps, we may not, for perhaps, we may not,
For perhaps we may not, meet again To-morrow.

He that goes to Bed, goes to Bed, goes to Bed sober,
Falls as the Leaves do, falls as the Leaves do,
Falls as the Leaves do in October.

This will cure the Head-ach [sic], the Cough, and the Phtisick,
This is to all Men, this is to all Men,

Maria Edgeworth, "Castle Rackrent" (1800):

"Then he fell to singing the favourite song he learned from his father - for the last time, poor gentleman - he sung it that night as loud and as hearty as ever with a chorus:

"He that goes to bed, and goes to bed sober,
Falls as the leaves do, falls as the leaves do, and dies in October.

"B3ut he that goes to bed, and goes to bed mellow,
Lives as he ought to do, lives as he ought to do, and dies an honest fellow."


Four of the 1828-29 broadside stanzas (given by Jim Dixon above) appear in Chappell's "Ballad Literature..." (1855) with the music. Chappell notes "I believe it is more frequently sung with four lines, and then without the repetitions." But the repeated lines are shown in Chappell's printing of the music, and the tune is *not* the current one.

At some point, apparently in the 1830s, an introductory stanza was added about "Three Jolly Post-Boys". This became the modern "Three Jolly Coachmen."

"Notes & Queries" (May 14, 1870), p. 475: “Three Jolly Post-boys drinking at the Dragon”… I heard this song sung some forty years ago by a party of students. It seems to be better known in Yorkshire than in other parts of the kingdom. The tune is quaint and old-fashioned, and the harmony effective. The words are here and there repeated to suit the stave, as indicated below. I am not certain that I remember all the stanzas of the song, but I recollect that it was not a long one : —

Chorus—'Three Jolly post-boys drinking at the Dragon (bis).
And they determined (three times) to finish out the flagon.

‘Wine cures the gout, the cholic, and the phthysic (bis).
And for all human ills (three times) the very best of physic!

Chorus — ‘Three jolly post-boys, &c. (as above),

‘He that drinks and goes to bed sober (bis).
Fades like the yellow leaf (three times).
And dies in October.

Chorus — ‘Three jolly post-boys, &c.

‘He that drinks and goes to bed mellow (bis).
Lives as he ought to live (three times).
And dies a jolly fellow!

Chorus— ‘Three jolly post-boys, &c.

“An apology may be deemed due to your teetotal correspondents for helping to perpetuate such dreadful sentiments. M. H. R.”



"Jaydee" responded to this by agreeing that "about forty years ago," he and his schoolmates sang the song a little differently:

Three Jolly post-boys drinking at the Dragon (bis).
And they determined (three times) to finish out the flagon.

Chorus: Landlord fill the bowl till it runs over (bis)
       There's not a jolly soul (ter) that goes to bed sober.

He that drinks and goes to bed sober (bis),
Fades like the leaves do (ter), and dies in October.

He that drinks and goes to bed mellow (bis),
Lives as he ought to live (ter), and dies a jolly fellow!

Punch cures the gout, the cholic, and the tisic (bis).
And for all men (ter) the very best of physic.

Punch is the surest remedy for evil (bis),
And at the close of life (ter) it drive away the devil.

Jaydee's tune must have been different from today's alsol. He calls the line "He that drinks and goes to bed sober" "perfect both as to metre and meaning."

The "Post-Boys" version was also known in America, according to the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat (Aug. 29, 1875):

“Three jolly post-boys
Sitting at the Dragon,
Three jolly post-boys,
Sitting at the Dragon;
And they determined,
And they determined,
And they determined
To finish out the flagon.”

The five stanzas (no chorus) given by Harris in 1882 (as in Jim Dixon's post above) are accompanied by a tune like Chappell's.


The English critic George Saintsbury wrote in 1892 that "I am told that even undergraduates do not know the ‘[Three] Jolly Post-Boys’ now."

The earliest mention I've found of "Three Jolly Coachmen" is in Clyde
Kimball's "A Diary of My Work Overseas" (1947), in an entry written in the U.S. in 1943. He gives only the title, along with "I've Got Sixpence" and "You Are My Sunshine."

Oscar Brand recorded it as "The Three Coachmen" in 1949.

The Kingston Trio popularized their version on their first album (1958).

The earliest appearance of the modern tune of "Come, Landlord," may be that in Ferd V. D. Garretson's "Carmina Yalensia," (1867), but it was often used for parodies in the previous ten years so was either rather older or, possibly, very recently introduced.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: The Doctor
Date: 26 Jul 23 - 06:15 AM

Just a passing thought. It was sung in the film 'I married a witch' (1942) by Cecil Kellaway, the witch's father, in an inebriated state. It was obviously thought sufficiently well known to put on a main stream film sound track.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 26 Jul 23 - 04:56 PM

The final line of the 1734 song is

"This is to all Men the best of Physick."

(Never multitask!)

It's interesting that the earliest texts have "until it does run over," while later ones prefer "doth," which may have been substituted to make the song sound more ancient.

What surprises me is that while the "Three Jolly Coachmen" words were mentioned in 1943, no earlier printed reference has surfaced.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 27 Jul 23 - 01:27 PM

I've found an earlier printing of the modern tune, but by less than a decade, in the anonymous "Home Melodist: A Collection of Songs and Ballads" (Boston, 1859).

The lyrics:

COME LANDLORDS [sic] FILL YOUR FLOWING BOWL

Chorus:

Come landlords fill your flowing bowl,
Until it doth run over.
Come landlords fill your flowing bowl
Until it doth run over.
For tonight we'll merry, merry be,
For tonight we'll merry, merry be,
For tonight we'll merry, merry be,
Tomorrow we'll get sober.

[Solos similarly:]

The man that drinks good whiskey punch
And goes to bed mellow,...
Lives as he ought to live...
And dies a clever fellow.

The man that drinks cold water, boys,
And goes to bed sober...
Falls as the leaves do fall...
And dies in October.

But he who drinks just what he likes,
And getteth "half seas over,"...
Will live until he dies, perhaps,...
And then lay down in clover.

(The lining up of the slang "half seas over" with the archaic-poetic "getteth" suggests a sophisticated lyricist.)

According to Steve Roud's Index (including a transcription by Baring-Gould), the tune had already appeared in "Davidson's Universal Melodist," II (London, 1848).

An 1854 Glasgow printing of the 1828-29 broadside words identifies the tune as "The Sports of Bacchus."

I've found no printing of the tune under this title. The following lyric, however, does concern Bacchus, was reprinted several times, and perfectly fits the tune. Traditional Tune Archive says it appeared in Charles Coffey's opera, "The Devil to Pay" (1731).

From "A Complete Collection of Old and New English and Scotch Songs, with Their Respective Tunes Prefixed" (1736) to the tune of "Charles of Sweden," which, regrettably, seems to bear a only vague resemblance to the "Flowing Bowl" tune (thanks due again to TTA):


Come, jolly Bacchus, god of wine,
Crown this night with pleasure:
Let none at cares of life repine,
To destroy our pleasure.
Fill up the mighty sparkling bowl,
That ev'ry true and mighty soul
May drink and sing without controul [sic]
To support our pleasure.

Thus, mighty Bacchus, shalt thou be
Guardian to our pleasure;
That, under your protection we
May enjoy new pleasure:
And, as the hours glide swift away,
We'll in thy name invoke thy stay,
And sing thy praises that we may,
Live and die with pleasure.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 27 Jul 23 - 02:34 PM

Nice detective work, Jon.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 27 Jul 23 - 10:02 PM

Thanks, Steve.

However, I have little confidence that "Come Jolly Bacchus" is related except in the topic and scansion.

It's surprising that the several collected "Landlord" tunes available through the Roud Index closely resemble or are identical with the familiar one, and none seem to be like those of Chappell and Stanley Harris.

Nor does the index turn up anything about "Three Jolly Post-Boys" (much less "Coachmen")!

Oscar Brand in 1949 seems to have introduced the two stanzas about the girl who "lingers for another": "She'll be a jolly mother."

The American collegiate "New Song Fest" (1954), ed. by Dick and Beth Best, marks the first appearance of "and brother gets another."

The Kingston Trio (1958) pronounced "merry" as "merr-eye," uniquely in the history of English.

When Sussex singer George Spicer sang the song for Mervyn Plunkett in 1959, with an unusual pattern of repeats, he sang that the girl who kisses and tells "ought to have her lips cut off."

He added:

"But the girl who washes her face
With the tail of her shirt and water:
She's the kind of gal for me,
She's the kind of gal for me,
She's the kind of gal for me,
She is a gentleman's daughter!
Daughter! Daughter!
She's the kind of gal for me,
She is a gentleman's daughter!"

(Audible at the Roud Index, No. 1234.)

Among the various current online versions, one (almost predictably) replaces "coachmen" with "sailors."

Commercial recordings of "Landlord" often present the song as a "Christmas carol." (But apparently not those with the chimney and perpendicular additions.)

There are some good performances on YouTube.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Jul 23 - 10:38 PM

Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl

DESCRIPTION: "Landlord, fill the flowing bowl until it doth run over (x2), For tonight we'll merry merry be (x3); Tomorrow we'll be sober." The singer describes those who drink water, ale, whiskey and/or court freely -- noting that those who drink deep are happier
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1830 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 17(55a))
KEYWORDS: drink nonballad courting landlord
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South),Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (11 citations):
Greig/Duncan3 562, "Come, Landlord, Fill a Flowing Bowl" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, pp. 50-51, "Come, Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Wt 394)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #357, p. 24, "Come, Landlord, Fill a Flowing Bowl" (1 reference)
Shay-BarroomBallads/PiousFriendsDrunkenCompanions, p. 45, "Fill the Flowing Bowl" (1 text)
Chappell-PopularMusicOfTheOldenTime, pp. 670-671, "The Jolly Fellow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Heart-Songs, p. 141, "Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl" (1 text, 1 tune)
Jolly-Miller-Songster-5thEd, #155, "Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl" (1 text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 229, "Landlord Fill The Flowing Bowl" (1 text)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, p. 234, "Three Jolly Coachmen" (notes only)
DT, COACHMN3*
ADDITIONAL: Henry Randall Waite, _Carmina Collegensia: A Complete Collection of the Songs of the American Colleges_ first edition 1868, expanded edition, Oliver Ditson, 1876, pp. 76-77, "Landlord, Fill Your Flowing Bowl" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #1234
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 17(55a), "Come Landlord Fill a Flowing Bowl," T. Birt (London) , 1828-1829; also Harding B 18(602), Harding B 15(53a), Harding B 11(2318), "Come, Landlord, Fill a Flowing Bowl" ; Harding B 15(52b), Firth c.22(49), Firth b.26(267), "Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl"; Firth b.28(34) View 2 of 2, "Landlord Fill a Flowing Bowl"; Harding B 11(2247), 2806 c.17(135), "Flowing Bowl"
LOCSinging, as108210, "Flowing Bowl," Pitts, J. (London), 1819-1844; also sb10068a, "Come, Landlord, Fill a Flowing Bowl"; as102150, "Landlord, Fill the Flowing bowl"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "He That Will Not Merry, Merry Be" (theme: drink and good fellowship))
cf. "Come, Ye Friends of a Social Life" (theme: drink and good fellowship))
cf. "The Social Fellow" (theme: drink and good fellowship))
cf. "Push About the Pitcher" (theme: drink and good fellowship))
cf. "Fill a Glass of Sherry" (theme: drink and good fellowship))
cf. "Farewell to Grog" (tune)
SAME TUNE:
Farewell to Grog (File: SCWF191)
Homeward Oh! (by H. A. Schauffler, [class of 18]59) ("Merrily roll we homeward, oh! While rings the air with laughter") (Henry Randall Waite, _Carmina Collegensia: A Complete Collection of the Songs of the American Colleges_ first edition 1868, expanded edition, Oliver Ditson, 1876, p. 114)
Shout for Alma Mater, O! ("Lift your joyful voices high To song of Kenyon measure") (Henry Randall Waite, _Carmina Collegensia: A Complete Collection of the Songs of the American Colleges_ first edition 1868, expanded edition, Oliver Ditson, 1876, p. 51)
When the Revolution Comes ("Come every honest lad and lass! Too long we've been kept under") (Foner, p. 305)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Three Jolly Coachmen
NOTES [164 words]: Although I have not been able to trace this song earlier than the nineteenth century, the idea is quite old. The Richard Hill manuscript, Oxford, Balliol College MS. 354, has a song written by 1537 which begins:
How, butler, how! Bevis a towt!
Fill the boll, gentill butler and let the cup rowght.
Jentill butler, bell amy,
Fyll the boll by the eye,
That we may drynk by and by.
This is item #101 on pp. 118-119 of Roman Dyboski, Songs, Carols, and Other Miscellaneous Poems from the Balliol Ms. 354, Richard Hill's Commonplace Book, Kegan Paul, 1907 (there are now multiple print-on-demand reprints), and is #87 on pp. 153-154 of Richard Greene, editor, A Selection of English Carols, Clarendon Medieval and Tudor Series, Oxford/Clarendon Press, 1962. Greene, p. 247, also notes a similar piece in Ravenscroft's Deuteromelia of 1609.
Broadsides LOCSinging as108210 and Bodleian Harding B 11(2247) are duplicates, [as are] LOCSinging sb10068a and Bodleian Harding B 18(602). - BS
Last updated in version 6.3
File: FSWB229A

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Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: cnd
Date: 28 Jul 23 - 12:22 PM

I found some pre-Brand recordings:

- W. H. Berry And Ernest Pike - Come, Landlord, Fill The Flowing Bowl (His Master's Voice D 444 - 1920) - no digital recording located
- The Midnight Minstrels – Savoy Christmas Medley [track A2] (Regal MR 430, 1931) - listen
- Mayfair Orchestra – Christmas Melodies By The Fireside (His Master's Voice B 3967, 1931) - no digital recording located
- The Ballad Orchestra - Community Songs-Medley No. 17 (London W. 7124, 1946) - listen (instrumental)

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: cnd
Date: 28 Jul 23 - 12:31 PM

As performed by Oscar Brand on Back-Room Ballads, CMS Records CMS-101 (1949), below is my transcription. Jon has already gone over the major differences above, but it never hurts to include the full lyrics.

THE THREE COACHMEN

Three jolly coachmen sat in an English tavern
Three jolly coachmen sat in an English tavern
And they decided that
And they decided that
And they decided that
They have another flagon

CHORUS
For tonight we'll merry merry be
For tonight we'll merry merry be
For tonight we'll merry merry be
Tomorrow we'll be sober

Here's to the man that drinks light ale and goes to be quite sober
Here's to the man that drinks light ale and goes to be quite sober
He falls the leaves do fall
He falls the leaves do fall
He falls the leaves do fall
So early in October

CHORUS

Here's to the man that drinks stout ale and goes to be quite mellow
Here's to the man that drinks stout ale and goes to be quite mellow
He lives as he ought to live
He lives as he ought to live
He lives as he ought to live
He'll be a jolly fellow

CHORUS

Now here's to the girl who steals a kiss and runs to tell her mother
Now here's to the girl who steals a kiss and runs to tell her mother
She does a very foolish thing
She does a very foolish thing
She does a very foolish thing
She'll never get another

CHORUS

Here's to the girl who steals a kiss and lingers for another
Here's to the girl who steals a kiss and lingers for another
She's a boon to all mankind
She's a boon to all mankind
She's a boon to all mankind
She'll be a jolly mother

CHORUS

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Jul 23 - 02:26 PM

Gosh. For many years I've falsely suspected that this song was so slick and pseudo-folky that someone had written it for the folk revival of the sixties.

I'm referring to it in it's Kingston Trio avatar.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: RTim
Date: 28 Jul 23 - 06:19 PM

Another example of a song used for a Morris Dance...."Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl" was used by The Adderbury Morris - certainly before 1918..as below...“The Flowing Bowl”

Morris Dancers Song with Stick Clap as used at Adderbury, Oxon by the Morris men in Walton’s youth.

Noted J.H.B. [Janet Blunt] March 1918 from William Walton

A music: Once to yourself. Dancers stand in position but do not walk round. Music only.

A no.1: Song only, in this first part, for the solo verses.

B music. For Chorus and stick clapping. Repeat twice. Then stand and sing only in solo verses.



Come Landlord, fill the flowing bowl

Until it does run over. (repeat)

For to-night we’ll merry be; For to-night we’ll merry be.

For to-night we’ll merry be__ And tomorrow we’ll give over.



The man that drinks small beer at night

And goes to bed sober (repeat)

Falls when the leaves do fall, Falls when the leaves do fall

Falls when the leaves do fall__ and dies in October.



The man that drinks strong ale at night

And goes to bed mellow. (repeat)

Lives as he ought to do; Lives as he ought to do.

Lives as he ought to do__ And dies a jolly fellow.



Mr Walton was a little hazy over the words, until he was reminded of them – in 2nd & 3rd verses. He had mixed them together – but thinks they were as above, which is how J.H.B.’s father (also a singer of folk songs) used to sing them.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Jul 23 - 07:58 AM

The London "Daily News" (May 1, 1875) reports, as part of "The Royal Academy exhibition," a painting by H. S. Marks:

"'The Three Jolly Post-Boys,' a bright, merry, vivacious picture of three blue-jacketed post-boys sitting outside an ale-house, and entertaining the servant-maid not a little by their ways and humours. They are the three thus described:

    Three jolly post-boys
      Sitting at the Dragon                                                                                       
    Three jolly post-boys
      Sitting at the Dragon,
    And they determin-ed,
    And they determin-ed,
    And they determin-ed
    To finish out the flagon.

Let us hope it was not so much after all - among three."

You can buy a second-hand framed sepia print on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325269432016

One of the "boys" looks to be about sixty.

"Punch" published a take-off in 1888 featuring three jolly politicians:

https://photos.com/featured/three-jolly-post-boys-1888-artist-print-collector.html

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Jul 23 - 09:25 AM

A later Brand recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW8T3q-hBrg

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: and e
Date: 29 Jul 23 - 01:01 PM

The landlord built his chimney high
Then he built it higher
The landlord built his chimney high
Then he built it higher
All to stop the cat next door,
All to stop the cat next door,
All to stop the cat next door,
From pissing in his fire.

Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
For tonight we'll merry, merry be
For tonight we'll merry, merry be
For tonight we'll merry, merry be
Tomorrow we'll be sober.

Come, into the garden Maude
Don't be so particular
Come, into the garden Maude
Don't be so particular
If the grass is very, very wet,
If the grass is very, very wet,
If the grass is very, very wet,
We'll do it perpendicular.

Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
For tonight we'll merry, merry be
For tonight we'll merry, merry be
For tonight we'll merry, merry be
Tomorrow we'll be sober.

Field recording of Vaughan Hully. Collected January 30, 2005.

Listen online: https://archive.org/download/jack_horntip_collection_field_recordings/0715%20Landlord%20Fill%20The%20Flowing%20Bowl%20%5BTwo%20Rude%20Verses%5D.mp3

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: and e
Date: 29 Jul 23 - 01:03 PM

P. Co-o-me landlord fill the flow--[Snore again.]
G. --ing blow, until it does run o-over "he would have
said, but sleep cut short his tale;" -- but go on Nibb with
your picture.

1837, Cambridge Crepuscular Diversions, and Brooding Before Bed Time, Pg 17.

See here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Cambridge_Crepuscular_Diversions_and_Bro/ymwAKleg52gC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22landlord+fill%22+bowl&pg=PA17&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: cnd
Date: 29 Jul 23 - 02:45 PM

I was confused by the P and G at first. P is a character named Philpott, while G is Grubb.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 30 Jul 23 - 07:40 PM

As one might expect, there's a number of old pubs called "The Dragon."

F'r instance:


The Dragon, Ilkley, West Yorkshire (est. 1642)
   
The Dragon, Lymm, Cheshire (est. 1670)
   
The Dragon, Market Harborough, Leicestershire (est. 1714)
   
The Dragon, Wapping, London (est. 1720)

The oldest appears to be that in Sandwich, which has been known as The Dragon since the sixteenth century, but was founded as St. George and the Dragon in 1446.

Given the reputation of Wapping in 1828, my guess is that's the one the poet had in mind.

Maybe.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 31 Jul 23 - 04:12 PM

History comes alive in the New Haven Palladium (Feb. 8, 1864):

“A happy, merry band of students went tramping down Chapel street, keeping time as they went, to the popular air of ‘When Johnny comes marching home,’ which was rendered in excellent spirit and harmony. An equally jolly group of soldiers, out on pass, and having had their bitters, were vainly endeavoring to make regular head way with the old air ‘Landlord fill the flowing bowl.’”
                                
(Presumably Yale students.)

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 09 Aug 23 - 07:54 PM

Here's a "Jolly Coachmen" text that appears to antedate Brand's by a few years. It appears among a number of WW2 Army Air Corps songs collected by former fighter pilot Bill Getz.

Besides that context, it seems unlikely that Brand's "jolly mother" would turn into "fruitful mother" (instead of the other way round).
                  
                  
                LANDLORD, FILL THE FLOWING BOWL

Three jolly coachmen sat in an English tavern.
Three jolly coachmen sat in an English tavern.
There they decided that; there they decided that,
There they decided that they'd have another flagon.

Chorus:

Oh, Landlord, fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over.
Oh, Landlord, fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over.
For tonight we'll merry merry be;
For tonight we'll merry merry be;
For tonight we'll merry merry be;
Tomorrow we'll be sober.

Now the man who drinks light ale and goes to bed quite sober;
Now the man that drinks light ale and goes to be quite sober.
Fades as the lilly [sic] fades, fades as the lilly fades;
Fades as the lilly fades. He'll die before October.

Chorus.

But the man who drinks stout ale, and goes to be quite mellow;
But the man who drinks stout ale and goes to be quite mellow;
Lives as he ought to live; lives as he ought to live;
Lives as he ought to live. He'll die a jolly fellow.

Chorus.

Now the maid who steals a kiss and runs to tell her mother;
Now the maid who steals a kiss and runs to tell her mother;
Does a very foolish thing; does a very foolish thing;
Does a very foolish thing. She'll never get another.

Chorus.

But the maid who steals a kiss and stays to get another;
But the maid who steals a kiss and stays to get another;
Is a boon to all mankind; is a boon to all mankind;
Is a boon to all mankind; she'll be a fruitful mother!

Chorus.

Subject: RE: Origins: Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl
From: Lighter
Date: 09 Aug 23 - 08:57 PM

Here's another extended, bawdified version which is about the same as that sung by Raymond Crooke on YouTube:


http://wychwood.wikidot.com/songbook-come-landlord