Sunday 31 October 2010

A Soalin' - Music for All Hallows' Eve

I used to sing and play this version of 'soul cake' when I was a teenager. For some reason, it combines a song normally associated with Christmas with the All Hallows' Eve 'soul cake' rhyme and was  used for wassailing. Must do some more research on the origins of 'soul cake' rhymes.

A Soalin' by Peter Paul and Mary


This very traditional version (minus the Christmas addition) of 'soul cake' has been brought bang up to date by Sting. - ooh look a drum very like a bodhran but not a bodhran.


For some reason, Sting has reverted to his Geordie accent which might make it difficult for some people to catch the words.



Lyrics
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry,
any good thing to make us all merry,
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all.
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry.



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.
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry,
any good thing to make us all merry,
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all.


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 your pear
For we’ll come no more a ’soalin’ till this time next year.
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry,
any good thing to make us all merry,
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all.



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.
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry,
any good thing to make us all merry,
A soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.
One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all.