Friday, 4 November 2011

Lewes November 5th


Well here's the jolly rhyme which traditionally accompanies Bonfire Night...quite gruesome as you can see.

Tonight Lewes has its night and the town becomes really quite anarchic...you have to be there to 'get it'.


Remember, remember the Fifth of November

The Gunpowder Treason and plot

I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot


Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes 'twas his intent


To blow up the King and the Parliament


Three score barrels of powder below


Poor old England to overthrow


By God's providence he was catch'd


With a dark lantern and burning match


Holler boys, holler boys, ring bells ring


Holler boys, holler boys, God Save the King!


A penny loaf to feed the Pope


A farthing o'cheese to choke him


A pint of beer to rinse it down


A faggot of sticks to burn him


Burn him in a tub of tar


Burn him like a blazing star


Burn his body from his head


Then we'll say old Pope is dead


Hip Hip Hoorah!


Hip Hip Hoorah!


Hip Hip Hoorah!

5 comments:

Ron Combo said...

I'm with that poem, all the way.

Jon Dudley said...

I'm sure it would go down well in your neck of the woods! ;-)

Wartime Housewife said...

Brilliant - I've never heard the full rhyme before. Shouldn't Guy Fawkes be heralded as a national hero? Discuss.

Hels said...

Of all the holidays in Australia after WW2, school children loved Guy Fawkes night more than any other. Our fathers had returned from the war in better or worse condition, but they all tried to give their children a fun night of crackers, bonfires and a guy.

I too only remember the first four lines off by heart:
"Remember, remember the Fifth of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot
I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot".

Happy holidays to you!

Jon Dudley said...

Ignoramus that I am, I had no idea that Guy Fawkes night was celebrated in Australia...but why not? After all, William Cobbett described the celebration of bonfire night in the American colonies in his journal 'A year in New England'.