My favourite drinking song, in two beautiful recordings:


Ye Mariners All

a) Ye Mariners All, Martin Carthy, in Martin Carthy, Topic TSCD340 (1993), first released as Fontana STL 5269 (LP, 1965)

Ye mariners all as ye pass by
Come in and drink when you are dry
Spend my lads your money brisk
And pop your nose in a jug of this

Ye tipplers all as you pass by
Come in and sit if you are dry
Spend my lads your money brisk
And pop your nose in a jug of this

Ye tipplers all if you've half a crown
You're welcome all for to sit down
Come in sit down, think not amiss
To pop your nose in a jug of this

Oh now I'm old and can scarcely crawl
I've got a long grey beard and a head that's bald
Crown my desire, fulfil my bliss
A pretty young girl and a jug of this

And when I'm in my grave and dead
And all my sorrows are past and fled,
Transform me then into a fish
Come let me swim in a jug of this

Ye mariners all as ye pass by
Come in and drink when you are dry
Come in sit down, think not amiss
To pop your nose in a jug of this

b) A jug of this, A. L. Lloyd, English Drinking Songs, Topic TSCD496 (original lp release, 1961)

You mar'ners all as you pass by
Call in and drink if you are dry
Come spend me lads your money brisk
And pop your nose in a jug of this

You tipplers all if you've half a crown
You're welcome all for to sit down
So call your drinks, think not amiss
And pop your nose in a jug of this

Oh now I'm old and can scarcely crawl
I've an old grey beard and a head that's bald
Crown my desire and fulfil me bliss
A pretty young girl and a jug of this

And when I'm in me grave and dead
And all me sorrows are past and fled
Transform me then into a fish
And let me swim in a jug of this