Jones's Ale
There were once three jovial fellows
Went over the
hills together
Went over the hills together
To have a jolly good spree
They flung themselves down on the ground
And each man swore he'd spend a pound
And they'd have glasses all around
When Jones's ale was new my boys
When
Jones's ale was new
Now the first to come in was a tinker
Good Lord
he was no drinker
Good Lord he was no drinker
To join the jovial crew
He said "Any pots or kettles to settle
My tongs are made of the best of metal"
Good Lord how his hammer and tongs did rattle
When Jones's ale was new my
boys
When Jones's ale was new
So they called for more pots
And
more pints and more glasses
And didn't they all get tight as asses
And
oh what fun they had with the lasses
When Jones's ale was new my boys
When Jones's ale was new
Oh the next to come in was a mason
With
his hammer and chisel to face them
With his hammer and chisel to face them
To join this jovial crew
He flung his old hammer against a brick wall
And swore that the churches and chapels might fall
And that would give work
to masons all
When Jones's ale was new my boys
When Jones's ale was new
Oh the next to come in was a barber
He swore he came from Scarborough
He swore he came from Scarborough
To join this jovial crew
He flung his
old razor against the wall
And he swore that maids would shave and all
And that would give work to the barbers all
When Jones's ale was new my boys
When Jones's ale was new
Notes
This version is from Simon McDonald, the great ballad singer and fiddle player form Creswick Victoria. The song 'Joan's Ale was New' has been collected in Britain by collectors like Sharp, Durfey, Bell, Baring-Gould and Vaughan Williams. In his Idiom of the People James Reeves writes "Bell (1857) says it was a lampoon on Oliver Cromwell, but the evidence is thin, and it is probable that it is considerably earlier. A 'ballet' of this name was entered in the stationers' register for 1594." This is mentioned in an article in the Sydney newspaper the Evening News 1 October 1892.
Malt Liquors of the English.
I will conclude by calling attention to an old song written in praise of some long forgotten brewster's ale. It is at least as old as Elizabeth's reign, for the books of the Stationers' Company show that a certain John Danter "entered for his copy a ballad entitled Jone's Ale is Newe," on October 26, 1594. This entry quite disposes of the opinion expressed in a head-note to a version of the song printed in the Percy Society's Tracts that it belonged to the period of the Common wealth. I have frequently heard the song sung in Cumberland, set to a lively air :
The first that came in was a soldier,
With his firelock over his shoulder,
Im sure no man could be bolder
Amongst that jovial crew.
He swore he would fight for England's crown,
Before he'd run his country down,
And every man should spend a crown,
While Joan's ale was new, brave boys,
While Joan's ale was new !
In Cecil Sharp's version, published by Reeves, there were seven tradesmen; soldier, mason, tailor, dyer, hatter, tinker and ragman.
In Melbourne the Argus 4 December 1869, advertises that the song is included in a burlesque titled "Joan of Arc", playing at the Theatre Royal.
JOAN of ARC. All the new London music--Les Pompiers de Nanterre, The Comical Ghost.
JOAN of ARC. The Monkey's Wedding, Fizz Galop, The Man at the Wheel, Temple Bar.
JOAN of ARC. Par Excellence, The Idol of the Day, Happy Go Dill, Genevieve de Brabant.
JOAN of ARC. As I Strolled Along the Thames Embankment, The Royal Wild Beast Show.
JOAN of ARC. Some Lady's Lost Her Chignon, The Beautiful Columbine, When Joan's Ale was New.
See also in this collection the version of Jones's Ale published in the Melbourne newspaper the Australasian in 1912.