So This is Christmas, What Have You Sung?

Tonight while we are all nestled and snug in our beds we might as well take a brief look at some of the wonderful Christmas music that has been around for ages. Tonight, let us look at the beautiful caroling song “Here We Come A-Wassailing”. I have also seen this song referred to as “The Wassail Song”. I don’t like that title though. I like to have the title be the first line of the song. That way, I know how to start the song if I know the title or I can remember the title if I can sing the first line of the song. It just makes things easier. I like easier things.

The first verse of this old favorite of caroling songs is:

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.

The first line is a proclamation of sorts. “Here we come!” The singers of this song want people to know they are on their way. And what are these people doing as they make their way toward you? They are “a-wassailing!” I always wondered what it meant to be “a-wassailing”. Well, this Christmas I looked it up. I found out that “wassail” is a verb. It means to indulge in wassail, or carouse. That wasn’t so helpful until I looked up “carouse”. It means, “a drunken revel.” The alternate definition of “wassail” is to sing carols from house to house at Christmas. I don’t see how that applies in this case. People, who were wandering around after they had too much to drink apparently originally, sang this song. My guess is that this song started out as a polite warning which wandering bands of intoxicated people would sing so that other people would know to steer clear if they so desired. What I don’t know is why Christians would adopt such a song as a staple when celebrating the birth of their Lord and Savior.

The second line of the song is odder yet, “Among the leaves so green.” Everyone knows the leaves are not green at Christmas time. There aren’t really any leaves around at all. The only green would be pine needles. Now the song starts to come together. The first two lines are essentially saying, “We’re here. We’re drunk. Now we will prove it by saying something stupid.”

Lines three and four indicate that these intoxicated folks are aware that they are merely wandering around and that they think quite highly of themselves. Vanity is one of the seven deadly sins. Once again I am troubled by the fact that this song has become synonymous with the birth of Christ.

The chorus:

Love and joy come to you,
And to you a wassail too,
And God bless you
And send you a happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.

The chorus grants the listener a great many things, not the least of which is a wassail, which is a big keg of beer. Along with God’s blessings, we should also receive happiness, love, joy and beer. Just when I thought the Christmas Holiday lacked a good drinking song, one presents itself. Let’s all drink a pint for Jesus.

The next verse is a bit disturbing.

We are not daily beggars
Who beg from door to door,
But we are neighbour's children
Whom you have seen before.

It’s Christmas. You meet a group of wandering drunken people. They are singing. Part of their song informs you these people are not beggars. It seems to me that Christmas time is when you wouldn’t care if you met some beggars. Christmas is when many people are most free with their giving. Nonetheless, it is important that this group inform you that they are in fact your neighbors intoxicated children. It paints a lovely picture doesn’t it?

Here is another delightful verse:

We have a little purse
Made of ratching leather skin;
We want some of your small change
To line it well within.

People are sitting in their homes. They hear a ruckus outside. They think it is possibly the local beggars who would like something to eat. They open the door. Bam! They are attacked by a drunken band of singers who tell you they are your neighbor’s children. Then they ask you for money. Christmas is about unrestrained consumerism, not excessive imbibing. Who do these people think they are?

I would have to buy an unabridged dictionary to know what “ratching” means. I don’t think it’s important for the continuity of the song.

The final verse:

God bless the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go.

Now these intoxicated kids, who are trying to panhandle for some beer money, decide that since no one is forking over the dough they are going to break up the family by accusing a man of having a mistress. Also the phrase about “all the little children” is a bit of an allusion to one or more possible illegitimate children, perhaps with the aforementioned mistress. The man of the house likely then would pull out some sort of a weapon and fight back.

This is not a Christmas song so much as it is a “How To” manual for starting a bar brawl. My vote is, take this out of the Christmas repertoire. It’s too controversial!