> The Watersons > Songs > Souling Song

Souling Song

[ Roud 304 ; Ballad Index BGMG408 ; trad.]

Lucy E. Broadwood, J.A. Fuller Maitland: English County Songs Roy Palmer: Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs Roy Palmer: Songs of the Midlands

There are two quite different songs with the title Souling Song.

The better known Soul Cake or Souling Song was sung by the Watersons (Lal, Mike and Norma Waterson and John Harrison) on their 1965 LP Frost and Fire; it was reissued on CD in 1990 and 2007 and was also included in 1996 on the Topic CD sampler The Season Round. A.L. Lloyd noted on the original album:

The end of October and start of November is the time of Hallowe’en, All Saints and All Souls, a time once thought full of magic, when the dead temporarily returned to the world of the living and roamed around the villages on the misty evenings. Till recently in parts of the Midlands and the Northwest, children went from door to door begging for soulcakes. [These] were food for the momentarily-returning dead, so that they would not feel rejected and thus be made angry. The little trichordal tune based simply on a scale of three adjacent notes within a minor third, is one of the most primitive we have.

Another, completely different song with the same title Souling Song seems to come from Cheshire (Souling Play from Huxley, Cheshire, 1913). Lal, Norma, and Mike Waterson and Martin Carthy sang it live at the Down River Folk Club, Corbett Theatre, Loughton, Essex, on 20 October 1974. This recording made by Alan White was included in 2001 on the Fellside anthology Voices in Harmony and in 2004 on the Watersons’ 4CD anthology Mighty River of Song. Paul Adams notes on the Fellside album:

[from the general text:] The Watersons have long held the position of the premier harmony group and yet, when analysed, they use harmony very sparingly. They certainly rarely achieve four-part harmony. At times only one person is singing a harmony line and the others are in unison. Sometimes they are all in unison but drift into two or three parts at the end of a line. In their case it is the blend of voices which makes it sound like harmony. It is a very distinctive sound.

[from the individual song notes:] Souling is a visiting custom performed around All Saints Day (1 November) and All Souls Day (2 November). In the 20^th century it has been mainly performed by children, but previously it was done by adults. The soulers would sing a song and get money, food or drink in return. The Watersons recorded another Souling Song on their Frost and Fire collection but have never recorded this version before.

A note from Bob Hudson:

The second version of Souling Song is fairly close to Number 139 in Roy Palmer’s Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs (London : Dent, 1979). Curiously, Palmer’s version has a similar chorus and first verse, but his other verses (2 and 3) are actually closer to the first Souling Song (Soul Cake). Palmer’s melody is a bit different in places than this Watersons version, but similar enough to be considered close variants of the same song.

Peter Paul and Mary sang the first of these songs, using the—possibly misheard—title A Soalin, in 1963 on their Warner album Moving.

John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris sang The Edgmond Men’s Souling Song in 1976 on their Topic album Among the Many Attractions at the Show Will Be a Really High Class Band. They noted:

Hallowe’en was thought to be a season when dead souls temporarily returned to the world. People put out cakes and drink to welcome them. Bands of children or men went from door to door, as their representatives, begging food and beer. In about 1850 William Porter and his fellow labourers put their heads together and remembered these verses to sing at their master’s door. The folklorist Georgina Jackson, who noted them down as part of her collection of Shropshire Folklore, compared them to another Edgmond chant which cites different rewards for the proper observance of Hallowtide:

Soul, soul for an apple or two,
If you’ve got no apples pears’ll do.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
And three for him as made us all.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Give us a big ’un and we’ll be gone.

Calennig sang the Souling Song in 2000 on their WildGoose CD A Gower Garland, released in remembrance of the 50^th anniversary of Phil Tanner’s death. They noted:

Gower, in common with many other rural areas, stuck firmly to the Julian calendar where traditional festivals were concerned. Souling Day was always celebrated on 12 November and Gower housewives would prepare Souly (often pronounced Zowly) cakes ready for the arrival of the Soulers. Mick [Tems] learned this rhyme from George Tucker of Horton in the 1970s and made the tune specially for this CD.

Paul and Linda Adams with Stuart Owen sang the Souling Song on the 2002 anthology on the calendar in traditional song, Seasons, Ceremonies & Rituals.

Kate Burke and Ruth Hazleton sang A-Soulin’ on their 2002 album Swapping Seasons.

Coope Boyes & Simpson sang the Uttoxeter Souling Song in 2002 on their No Masters album Twenty-Four Seven. They noted:

Barry [Coope] introduced us to the Uttoxeter Souling Song from the traditional custom in Staffordshire.

Bryony Griffith sang Soul Cake in 2010 on the Demon Barbers’ CD The Adventures of Captain Ward. They learned it from the singing of Fellside’s Paul and Linda Adams. Their verses are a mixture of both Watersons versions.

Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham sang the Uttoxeter Souling Song in 2012 on their WildGoose album Well Dressed. Keith noted:

My first performance of this song was, if I remember correctly, with Muckram Wakes back in the early 80’s. It was discovered, I believe, by Derbyshire folk living legend Roger Watson who kindly gave it to us. Particularly delighted then to have me old mucker John Adams (who sang it with me in Muckram Wakes) returning to put his old bass line on for us here.

Mary Humphreys and Anahata sang the Edgmond Men’s Souling Song on their 2012 album A Baker’s Dozen. Mary noted:

Another seasonal song which we heard first from John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris’ Topic LP of 1976, Among the Many Attractions at the Show Will Be a Really High Class Band. They added the chorus and the second half of the tune. The original text and tune was noted from William Porter, of Edgmond in Shropshire, in 1863 by Georgina Jackson and published in Shropshire Folk-Lore Part II, 1883, edited by Charlotte Burne. The book is a good read and well worth searching out. We first sang our version at the Samhain meeting of Old Glory Molly at the Rumburgh Buck in 2011 and suspect it might become a regular seasonal anthem in Suffolk.

A live recording of the Swedish group West of Eden singing Soul Cake was included in 2016 on their CD Another Celtic Christmas.

Jo Freya sang the The Uttoxeter Souling Song in 2018 on Blowzabella’s album Two Score. They noted:

A great wassail song from the market town of Uttoxeter in Staffordshire sung at seasonal celebrations for reward with money or food. Whilst there are no threats there is no doubt that, if you weren’t generous, the singers had ways of showing their displeasure.

LynnH, who posted very similar lyrics to Mudcat in 2018, noted:

Submitted ca. 1875 to the Derbyshire Courier by a Mr Francis Redfern who “Remembered hearing it sung on his uncle’s farm at Doveridge 40 years ago.” Unfortunately his memory had added two half verses which had absolutely nothing to do with the story!

and Derek Schofield added:

Francis Redfern was the author of History and Antiquities of the Town and Neighbourhood of Uttoxeter (1886) and although he refers to souling, he only gives the first verse of the song. The words are very similar to souling songs in Cheshire, e.g. in Alderley and Barthomley, if I remember correctly. I think it was also published in Ormerod’s History of Cheshire.

Lyrics

The Watersons sing Souling Song on Frost and Fire

Chorus (repeat after each verse):
A soul, a soul, a soul cake,
Please, good missus, a soul cake,
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him that made us all.

God bless the master of this house and the mistress also
And all the little children that around your table grow,
Likewise your men and maidens, your cattle and your store
And all that dwells within your gates,
We wish you ten times more.

The lanes are very dirty and my shoes are very thin,
I’ve got a little pocket I can put a penny in.
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’ penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha’ penny, then God bless you.

The Watersons sing Souling Song on Voices in Harmony

Chorus (repeat after each verse):
O, we are one, two, three good hearty lads, and we’re all in one mind,
For we have come a-souling good nature to find,
For we have come a-souling for your money and your beer,
And we’ll come no more so nigh to you till this time next year.

Go down into your cellar, boys, and it’s there you will find
Some strong beer, some cider, some ale or port wine;
With your white bread and cheese it will fill us with cheer,
For we’ll come no more so nigh to you till this time next year.

O, come, dearest mistress, do not tarry to spin
But to untop a jug to draw some ale in,
And when we have gotten it, how soon you shall see,
And when we have drunken it, how merry we will be.

Come pick up your sackies, you sackies, good dame,
For wi’ walking and talking we have gained her good name,
For wi’ walking and talking we have got very dry,
And the last of your neighbours did not us deny.

Now our time it is precious, and we cannot long stay;
We’re a company that’s designed for to taste of your ale;
We want none of your small beer, nor none of your pale,
But the one out of the kinker-keg that’s next to the wall.

Peter Paul and Mary sing A Soalin’

Hey ho, nobody home, meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet shall we be merry, Hey ho, nobody home.
Hey ho, nobody home, Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet shall we be merry, Hey ho, nobody home.
Hey Ho, nobody home.

Chorus (after each verse):
Soal, a soal, a soal cake, please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry,
One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all.

God bless the master of this house, and the mistress also
And all the little children that round your table grow.
The cattle in your stable and the dog by your front door
And all that dwell within your gates
We wish you ten times more.

Go down into the cellar and see what you can find
If the barrels are not empty we hope you will be kind
We hope you will be kind with your apple and strawber’
For we’ll come no more a ’soalin’ till this time next year.

The streets are very dirty, my shoes are very thin.
I have a little pocket to put a penny in.
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’ penny will do.
If you haven’t got a ha’ penny then God bless you.

Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace..
This holy tide of Christmas of beauty and of grace,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

The Demon Barbers sing Soul Cake

Chorus (repeat after each verse):
A soul, a soul, a soul cake,
Hey, good missus, a soul cake,
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him that made us all.

Go down into your cellar and see what you can find
If your barrel is not empty we’ll hope you will prove kind
We’ll hope you will prove kind with your apples and strong beer
We’ll come no more a-souling until this time next year.

The lanes are very dirty, my shoes are very thin,
I’ve got a little pocket to put a penny in.
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’ penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha’ penny, then God bless you.

Jo Freya sings the The Uttoxeter Souling Song

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

God bless the master of this house, the mistress also,
And all the little children that round your table grow.

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

Put your hand into your pocket and draw out your keys,
Go down into your cellar and draw us what you please.

Draw us a jug of ale or your beer that is so brown
And we will drink your health, likewise another to the crown.

With walking and with talking we are all got very dry,
To try your good nature this night you’ll never us deny.

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

(repeat first verse)

Acknowledgements

Frost and Fire version transcribed from the singing of the Watersons by Garry Gillard. Voices in Harmony version transcribed by Bob Hudson.