{"id":4633,"date":"2017-07-14T20:41:33","date_gmt":"2017-07-15T00:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=4633"},"modified":"2018-03-01T22:09:38","modified_gmt":"2018-03-02T02:09:38","slug":"ol-king-cole","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=4633","title":{"rendered":"Ol’ King Cole"},"content":{"rendered":"

Old King Cole is really an English nursery rhyme dated at least in print to 1708. It has become
\nsomewhat associated with Christmas as “Old King Cole” seems to be in celebration as he calls his musicians and entertainers to court and the song is sung as a cumulative song<\/a>, in the same
\nmanner as The Twelve Days of Christmas.<\/p>\n

\"Old

Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=975390<\/p><\/div>\n

Within the usual affects of folk music, such a popular
\nmelody and lyrics have become parodied ad nauseum; in the 1920s a version appears in the US at the expense of all the ranks in the Army, with the tag line being,<\/p>\n

“Beer! Beer! Beer! Said the privates. Merry men are we!
\nThere’s none so fair as can compare with the fighting infantry”<\/p>\n

And variaitons of that as well. As this parody it also appears in print in 1929 in a music book
\n“Sound Off! Soldier Songs from Yankee Doodle to Parley Voo” by Edward A. Dolph.<\/p>\n

This version below I gleaned from the singing of Marc Bernier.<\/a> I do not know where he might
\nhave collected it from although a rather similar (but not as polished) version appears in the
\nalbum “Dirty Ditties” by Johnny Logan – Born Sean Patrick Michael Sherrard, 13 May 1954 in
\nAustralia – Irish singer and composer. I give full credit and appreciation to Marc.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jos. Morneault<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
\nAnd a merry old soul was he!
\nHe called for his pipe and he called for his beer,
\nAnd he called for his fiddlers<\/span> three.<\/p>\n

Now every fine fiddler had a very fine fiddle,
\nAnd a very fine fiddle had he!
\nOh fiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee, said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are we!
\nThere’s no one here that can drink more beer
\nThan the sons of harmony!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now old King Cole was a merry old soul
\nAnd a merry old soul was he!
\nHe called for his pipe and he called for his beer,
\nAnd he called for his fluters three.<\/p>\n

Now every fine fluter had a very fine flute,
\nAnd a very fine flute had he!
\nOh tootle-ootle-oot, ootle-oot, said the fluters
\nFiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are we!
\nThere’s no one here that can drink more beer
\nThan the sons of harmony!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now… tailors three.<\/p>\n

Now every fine tailor had a very fine prick
\nAnd a very fine prick had he!
\nOh stick it in and out, in and out, said the tailors
\ntootle-ootle-oot, ootle-oot, said the fluters
\nFiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now… painters three<\/p>\n

Now every fine painter had a very fine brush
\nAnd a very fine brush had he!
\nOh slap it up and down, up and down, said the painters
\nstick it in and out, in and out, said the tailors
\ntootle-ootle-oot, ootle-oot, said the fluters
\nFiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now… Jugglers three<\/p>\n

Now every fine juggler had a pair of fine balls
\nAnd a pair of fine balls had he!
\nOh balls in the air, in the air said the jugglers
\nslap it up and down, up and down, said the painters
\nstick it in and out, in and out, said the tailors
\ntootle-ootle-oot, ootle-oot, said the fluters
\nFiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now… coalmen three<\/p>\n

Now every fine coalman had a very fine sack
\nAnd a very fine sack had he!
\nDo you want it in the front or the back, said the coalmen
\nballs in the air, in the air said the jugglers
\nslap it up and down, up and down, said the painters
\nstick it in and out, in and out, said the tailors
\ntootle-ootle-oot, ootle-oot, said the fluters
\nFiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now… Hunters three<\/p>\n

Now every fine hunter had a very fine horse
\nAnd a very fine horse had he!
\nOh, ride ‘er in the grass, in the grass, said the hunters
\nwant it in the front or the back, said the coalmen
\nballs in the air, in the air said the jugglers
\nslap it up and down, up and down, said the painters
\nstick it in and out, in and out, said the tailors
\ntootle-ootle-oot, ootle-oot, said the fluters
\nFiddle-diddle-dee, diddle-dee said the fiddlers
\nMerry men are…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n