[Bg-dance] Fwd: If All the World Were Paper

[Thomas]

Strangely enough these lyrics remind me 
of a song that was first published in 1643:  
THE WORLD TURN'D UPSIDE DOWN.  There are  
variations; yet both songs seem to question  
the current order of the world: 

Our Lords and Knights, and Gentry too, 
doe mean old fashions to forgoe: 
They set a porter at the gate, 
that none must enter in thereat. 
They count it a sin, when poor people come in. 
Hospitality it selfe is drown'd. 
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, 
you see the world turn'd upside down.
   
The serving men doe sit and whine, 
and thinke it long ere dinner time: 
The Butler's still out of the way, 
or else my Lady keeps the key, 
The poor old cook, in the larder doth look, 
Where is no goodnesse to be found, 
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, 
you see the world turn'd upside down.
  

Thomas 




-----Original Message-----
>From: Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com>
>Sent: Apr 30, 2012 1:17 AM
>To: bg-dance at ansteorra.org
>Subject: [Bg-dance] Fwd: If All the World Were Paper
>
>     ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>     Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:57:36 -0500
>     From: Charlene Charette / Perronnelle
>     To: Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com>
>     Subject: If All the World Were Paper
>
>Ault, Norman; Seventeenth Century Lyrics
>
>Wit's Recreations, 1641
>
>If all the world were paper,
>And all the sea were ink,
>And all the trees were bread and cheese
>What should we do for drink?
>
>If all the world were sand-o,
>Oh, then what should we lack-o?
>If, as they say, there were no clay,
>How should we take tobacco?
>
>If all our vessels ran-a,
>If none but had a crack-a;
>If Spanish apes ate all the grapes,
>How should we do for sack-a?
>
>If friars had no bald pates,
>Nor nuns had no dark cloisters;
>If all the seas were beans and beans,
>How should we do for oysters?
>
>If there had been no projects,
>Nor none that did great wrongs,
>If fiddlers shall turn players all,
>How should we do for songs?
>
>If all things were eternal,
>And nothing their end bringing;
>If this should be, then how should we
>Here make an end of singing?
>
>
>Note:  This nonsense rhyme is entitled 'Interrogativa Cantilena' in
>the text.  It was probably inspired by the following little song of an
>earlier date which has survived in British Museum Add. MS. 22601, [c.
>1603]:
>
>If all the Earthe were paper white
>and all the sea were incke
>'Twere not inough for me to write
>as my poore hart doth thinke.
>
>The latter verses appear also in Poetical Collection cited in 'A
>Short-Title List 24, 26, 31, 42, 77, 83.
>_______________________________________________
>Bg-dance mailing list
>Bg-dance at lists.ansteorra.org
>http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/bg-dance-ansteorra.org