Drive The Cold Winter Away

You know the score: weather outside = frightful, fire = delightful, and I'm now refusing to consume any liquid that hasn't been mulled to within an inch of its life. As we shiver our way towards the winter solstice, here's an appropriate song from the early 1600s performed by Coope, Boyes & Simpson.


All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year,
And welcome the nights that double delights
As well for the poor as the peer!
Good fortune attend each merry man's friend,
That doth but the best that he may;
Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs,
To drive the cold winter away.

This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
And neighbours together do meet
To sit by the fire, with friendly desire,
Each other in love to greet;
Old grudges forgot are put in the pot,
All sorrows aside they lay;
The old and the young doth carol this song
To drive the cold winter away.

To mask and to mum kind neighbours will come
With wassails of nut-brown ale,
To drink and carouse to all in the house
As merry as bucks in the dale;
Where cake, bread, and cheese is brought for your ease
To make you the longer stay;
At the fire to warm 'twill do you no harm,
To drive the cold winter away.

When Christmas's tide come in like a bride
With holly and ivy clad,
Twelve days in the year much mirth and good cheer
In every household is had;
The country guise is then to devise
Some gambols of Christmas play,
Where everyone does the best that they can
To drive the cold winter away.

We'll spend the long nights in merry delights
With a song or a tale or a cup of good ale
With mirth and good cheer to end the whole year,
And drive the cold winter away