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Essex Wassail

[trad. / Jonny Dyer]

Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sang the Essex Wassail, “based on all the Wassails that we could find”, on their eponymous 2012 Christmas single Essex Wassail and on their 2015 Christmas CD A Sound of Christmas Past.

Lyrics

Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sing the Essex Wassail

You gentlemen of England I’ll have you to draw near,
For we have come a-wassailing for your strong ale and beer

Chorus (after each verse):
Wassail, wassail, come listen to our call,
Wassail, wassail, a health to one and all.

God bless the master of the house, the misteress also,
And all the little children that around your table go.

Likewise your men and maidens, your cattle and your store,
And all that dwell within your gates we wish you ten times more.

Put your hand into your pocket and draw out your keys,
Go down unto your cellar and draw what e’er you please.

Draw us a jug of your fine grog or your ale that is so brown,
And we will drink a health to you and another to the crown.

From walking and from talking we are so very dry,
We trust your good nature that you’ll never us deny.

This night you’ll never us deny of your strong ale and beer for,
We’ll come no more a-wassailing until this time next year.