Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BRANDY POND, by WINIFRED VIRGINIA JACKSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BRANDY POND, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Come all you jolly river boys and join me while I sing
Last Line: And johnny williams of great pond was given of the blame!
Subject(s): Drinks & Drinking; Rivers; Singing & Singers; Wine; Songs


Come all you jolly river boys and join me while I sing,
A song of days of long ago that recollections bring,
And you will hear how Brandy Pond was named an honoured name,
And Johnny Williams of Great Pond was given of the blame:
Though there was Judson Archer and J. Gooch of Yarmouth, too;
And Hopkins, up from Ellsworth, and the son of Donkey Drew,
As went into the wilderness to locate of the pine,
The punkin, and the hemlock, on the old Lute Jackson line:

O brandy is the life of man,
Brandy! Johnny!
O brandy is the life of man,
Brandy for our Johnny!

I drink it hot, I drink it cold,
Brandy! Johnny!
I drink it hot, I drink it cold,
Brandy for our Johnny!

I drink it new, I drink it old,
Brandy! Johnny!
I drink it new, I drink it old,
Brandy for our Johnny!
We viewed a pond a gliffy's thrice,
Brandy! Johnny!
And set to cross it on the ice,
Brandy for our Johnny!

Close by the shore an air-hole hid,
Brandy! Johnny!
It almost caught our noble Sid,
Brandy for our Johnny!

But Johnny in the water went,
Brandy! Johnny!
As quick as that false ice it bent,
Brandy for our Johnny!

And in that hole our bob it fell,
Brandy! Johnny!
And down our grub it went as well,
Brandy for our Johnny!

On top of Johnny, cold as ice,
Brandy! Johnny!
We hauled John out but he wan't nice,
Brandy for our Johnny!

Our keg of brandy did not sink,
Brandy! Johnny!
It floated on that dangerous brink,
Brandy for our Johnny!

We pulled that keg out, brave and bold,
Brandy! Johnny!
For cold as Greenland grew the cold,
Brandy for our Johnny!

No tun nor dipper had we then,
Brandy! Johnny!
To drink us from, us freezing men,
Brandy for our Johnny!

So we took knives and cut a bowl,
Brandy! Johnny!
Down in that ice, and round that hole,
Brandy for our Johnny!

We lay us down and drunk our fill,
Brandy! Johnny!
And drunk us to the very gill,
Brandy for our Johnny!

O brandy is the life of man,
Brandy! Johnny!
O brandy is the life of man,
Brandy for our Johnny!

I drink it hot, I drink it cold,
Brandy! Johnny!
I drink it hot, I drink it cold,
Brandy for our Johnny!

I drink it new, I drink it old,
Brandy! Johnny!
I drink it new, I drink it old,
Brandy for our Johnny!
So, here I end the song I sing of that brave company,
A song that I have sung to you like one I learned at sea,
For that is how that Brandy Pond was named an honoured name
And Johnny Williams of Great Pond was given of the blame!





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