Found in Barrett's collection of English folk songs published in 1891, this drinking song has been performed over the years by Cyril Tawney, John C. Reilly, The Watersons, Andy Turner and of course Jon Boden, who learnt it from Forest School Camps as I did.
lyrics
LYRICS:
Come all you bold heroes, lend an ear to my song,
I will sing in the praise of good brandy and rum.
If the clear crystal fountains o'er England do roll,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
I'll fathom the bowl, I'll fathom the bowl,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
From France we do get brandy, from Jamaica comes rum,
Sweet oranges and apples from Portugal come.
But stout and strong cider are England's control,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
I'll fathom the bowl, I'll fathom the bowl,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
My wife she do disturb me as I sits at my ease,
For she says as she likes and she does as she please.
My wife she is a devil, heart black as the coal,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
I'll fathom the bowl, I'll fathom the bowl,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
My father he do lie at the depths of the sea
With no stone for his head, but what matters for he?
If the clear crystal fountains o'er England still roll,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
I'll fathom the bowl, I'll fathom the bowl,
Bring me the punch ladle, I'll fathom the bowl.
Roary Skaista is a queer folk musician based in Oxford, performing traditional folk songs as well as their own material on
the themes of love, nature and diversity.
supported by 5 fans who also own “Fathom The Bowl”
This is a great adaptation of Arthuriana and a brilliant narrative album. I love how the queerness of the characters is handled as an integral part of the narrative and plot development without it being the end all be all of the characters themselves. my boy Gawain deserved better though maritarvaniti
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018