I love those old Elizabethan songs! I once (many years ago, while a student) sang tenor with a madrigal choir. They are so enjoyable to sing, beautiful harmonies, and as you say, Raedwulf, musically complex.

Richard, it's fascinating to hear about your family connections with the song 'Drink to Me Only'. It makes it more alive, somehow, reminding us that, despite its age, it was written by real, ordinary people just like us.

It's interesting that you suggest setting out the criteria for a 'perfect' lyric. That's rather hard to do! In the example I gave, it's just that it all fits together so well, and works perfectly. For me, that is; but also for many others, I assume, else it would never have survived for so long.

Incidentally, I don't hold the second verse of the song in such high regard. It loses its way a bit poetically, I think, and also introduces an unnecessary melancholic note. Almost as though the author, having written a beautiful first verse, suddenly thought, hey, I'd better write a second verse if this is going to make it as a song!

But again, that's just my opinion.