Soul cake

Lyrics to the Christmas carol Soul cake.

About

History and facts about Soul cake.

  • Soul cake – a small round cake traditionally made to honor the dead in the Christian tradition.
  • Children and poor people where given soul cakes when they went from door to door singing and saying prayers for the dead.
  • The lyrics to the song Soul cake where collected in 1891 from a girl at the local school by Rev. M. P. Holme of Tattenhall, Cheshire.
  • In 1893 folklorist Lucy Broadwood published the song.
  • Soul cake appears on Sting’s Christmas album If On a Winter’s night from 2009.

Lyrics

Lyrics to Soul cake.

1891 version of Soul cake

Lyrics to the 1891 version of the Christmas carol Soul cake.

A soul! a soul! a soul-cake!
Please good Missis, a soul-cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all.

God bless the master of this house,
The misteress also,
And all the little children
That round your table grow.
Likewise young men and maidens,
Your cattle and your store ;
And all that dwells within your gates,
We wish you ten times more.

Down into the cellar,
And see what you can find,
If the barrels are not empty,
We hope you will prove kind.
We hope you will prove kind,
With your apples and strong beer,
And we’ll come no more a-souling
Till this time next year.

The lanes are very dirty,
My shoes are very thin,
I’ve got a little pocket
To put a penny in.
If you haven’t got a penny,
A ha’penny will do ;
If you haven’t get a ha’penny,
It’s God bless you

Sting’s version of Soul cake

Lyrics to Sting’s version of Soul cake which appears on the Christmas album If on a Winters’s Night from 2009.

A soul cake, a soul cake,
Please, good missus, a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry,
A soul cake, a soul cake,
Please, good missus, a soul cake.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
And three for Him that made us all.

God bless the master of this house
And the mistress also
And all the little children
That round your table grow;
The cattle in your stable,
The dogs at your front door,
And all that dwell within your gates
We’ll wish you ten times more.

A soul cake, a soul cake…

Go down into the cellar
And see what you can find;
If the barrels are not empty
We’ll hope that you’ll be kind;
We’ll hope that you’ll be kind
With your apple and your pear,
And we’ll come no more a-soulin’
Till Christmas time next year.

A soul cake, a soul cake…

The streets are very dirty,
Me shoes are very thin,
I have a little pocket
To put a penny in;
If you haven’t got a penny
A ha’penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha’penny
Then God bless you.

A soul cake, a soul cake…