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Music And Song - English Folk Song

Fathom The Bowl

Posted by IONA England folk correspondent, 1st Mar 2006

A popular drinking song written in 1891 by William Alexander Barrett

Come all you bold heroes; give ear to my song
I’ll sing in the praise of good brandy and rum
There’s a clear fountain, near England shall flow
Hand me the punch ladle I’ll fathom the bowl.

Chorus:
I’ll fathom the bowl; I’ll fathom the bowl
Hand me the punch ladle, I’ll fathom the bowl.

2. From France we do get brandy, from Jamaica comes rum
While sweet oranges and lemons from Portugal come
Strong beer and good cider, o’er England shall flow
Hand me the punch ladle, I’ll fathom the bowl.

Chorus

3. My wife she comes in, when I sit at my ease
She scolds and she grumbles, and she does as she please
She may scold and she may grumble till her face is black as coal
Hand me the punch ladle I’ll fathom the bowl.

Chorus

4. My father, he lies in the depth of the sea
With stones at his feet, what matters for he?
There’s a clear fountain near him it doth roll
Hand me the punch ladle I’ll fathom the bowl.

Chorus

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