“The Jug of Punch”

Description

The singer (hears a thrush singing "A jug of punch"; he too) describes the pleasures of drink: "What more pleasure could a boy desire Than to sit him down by a roaring fire, And on his knee a tidy wench And in his hand a jug of punch."

Notes

Creighton-NovaScotia['s] first verse seems like a floater but I know no other source

There was an old woman, she had na bairns,

She took the punch jug in her arms,

And she sang, "Mush-a-lula boo,

Will you ne'er be empty till I be fu'. - BS

I don't recognize it earlier, but I wonder if it might not be a separate song which has picked up a single "Jug of Punch" verse. Unless another version surfaces, we probably will never know. - RBW

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Firth b.27(162), "The Jug of Punch" ("As I was sated in my room"), unknown, n.d.; also Harding B 11(1949), Harding B 25(1013), "Jug of Punch" ("'Twas on the 24th of June")

Recordings

• The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, "A Jug of Punch" (on IRClancyMakem01); "The Jug of Punch" (on IRClancyMakem02)
• Margaret Loughram & Edward Quinn, "The Jug of Punch" (on FSB3)
• Pete Seeger, "Jug of Punch" (on PeteSeeger27)

References

1. Kennedy 278, "The Jug of Punch" (1 text+ 1 in appendix, 1 tune)
2. SHenry H490, p. 48, "The Jug of Punch" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. O'Conor, p. 154, "Jug of Punch" (1 text)
4. Creighton-NovaScotia 95, "Mush a Doody" (1 short text, 1 tune)
5. Silber-FSWB, p. 230, "The Jug Of Punch" (1 text)
6. DT, JUGPUNCH* JUGPUN2
7. Roud #1808
8. BI, K278