The Christmas Goose

from The Frost Is All Over by Kate Rusby

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about

Trad arr K Rusby and D O’Kane

This song was suggested to me by my Dad on his return from one of the ‘Christmas pub sings’. He heard the fantastic Mr. Will Noble singing it that day. I found a recording of the man himself singing it and fell in love with it, so here is our version. Thanks Dad and thanks Will!

lyrics

It was in a pub in Manchester
the Cornstalks was the sign,
A famous pub where travellers
they used to sleep and dine,
One Christmas time a traveller
so long had been his use,
Called to spend his holidays and
choose his Christmas goose.

Chorus
All around the greenwood
so early in the morn,
The merry, merry huntsman
blows his silver bugle horn.

He drank his pint of sherry
wine and smoked a mild cigar,
He chatted with the customers
and people in the bar,
And not a thought of wickedness
ere entered in his head,
Until the chambermaid appeared
to light him up to bed.

Chorus

But then he grew so amorous
he squeezed her on the stairs,
He kissed her at the chamber
door before he said his prayers,
He gave to her a guinea to
prevent her being vexed,
Then he blew the candle out
and you can guess the rest.

Chorus

Next morning this lothario
discharged his little bill,
Put on his boots and paid
the landlord for his parting gill,
But where he went to afterwards
it’s not for me to say,
Suffice he came to choose his
goose upon next Christmas day.

Chorus

Next Christmas time it came around
which filled his heart with glee,
He’d wandered round from town to
town and strange things did he see,
‘Til he ended up in Manchester
and put up for the night,
At the Cornstalks which the year
before had filled him with delight.

Chorus

He went into the coffee room
so jaunty as could be,
Where many a fella like himself
was waiting for his tea,
He ordered of the very best
the landlord could produce,
And called the waiter back to say,
“and don’t forget the goose”.

Chorus

Right speedily a tray appeared
with eatables galore,
And by the very chambermaid
he’d kissed the year before,
But nothing loth, he raised the
cloth where on a heap was piled,
Instead of eatables there was
a big fat bumping child.

Chorus

Enraged at seeing the others laugh,
“what’s this here?” said he,
“Come sit you down beside me
and I’ll tell you sir” said she,
“Last Christmas you were generous,
pray do not look so strange,
You gave to me guinea now I’ve
brought to you your change”.

Chorus x 2

credits

from The Frost Is All Over, released October 4, 2022

license

all rights reserved

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about

Kate Rusby image

Kate Rusby England, UK

Forever proud to call herself a folk singer, Kate celebrates her own 50 yrs with her 'Established 1973' tours.

2022 marked 30 yrs as a professional musician with the album 30:Happy Returns

Hand Me Down (2020) was her highest-charting album.

Named in the Top 10 Folk Voices of the Century and a Mercury Prize in 1999

Yorkshire roots the carols in her Christmas tour. ... more

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