Beer Songs
Nottingham Ale (traditional)
When Venus, the goddess of beauty and love
Arose from the froth that swam on the sea
Minerva sprang out of the cranium of Jove
A coy, sullen dame as most mortals agree
But Bacchus, they tell us, that prince of good fellows
Was Jupiter's son, pray attend my tale
They who thus chatter mistake quite the matter
He sprang from a barrel of Nottingham Ale
Chorus:
Nottingham Ale, oh, Nottingham Ale
No liquor on earth is like Nottingham Ale
Nottingham Ale, oh, Nottingham Ale
No liquor on earth is like Nottingham Ale
You bishops and curates, priests, deacons and vicars
When once you have tasted, you all must agree
That Nottingham Ale is the best of all liquors
And none understands a good creature like thee.
It dispels every vapor, saves pen, ink and paper
For when you've a mind in your pulpit to rail
It'll open your throats, you may preach without notes
When inspired with a bumper of Nottingham Ale.
Ye poets who pray on the Hellican brooke
The nectar of Gods and the juice of the vine,
You say none can write well except they invoke
The friendly assistance of one of the Nine.
His liquor surpassed the streams of Parnassus
That nectar, Ambrosia, on which Gods regale
Experience will show it, naught makes a good poet
Like quantum sufficients of Nottingham Ale.
And you doctors, who more executions have done
With powder and potion and bolus and pill
Than hangman with halter, or soldier with gun
Miser with famine or lawyer with quill
To dispatch us the quicker, you forbid us malt liquor
Till our bodies consume, and our faces grow pale
Let him mind you, who pleases, what cures all diseases
A plentiful glass of good Nottingham Ale.
Now you lovers who talk of your flames, darts and daggers
With Nottingham Ale ply your woman but hard
For the girl who once tastes it, will toast till she staggers
And all your past sufferings and hardships reward
You can bend her and twist her, and do what to list her
You’ve found the right way for your heart to prevail
Let her take a glass often, there’s nothing will soften,
The heart of a woman, like Nottingham Ale.