Historic Sheet Music Collection

Document Type

Score

Publication Date

1890

Comments

The Drinking Song from Offenbach's "Grand Duchess of Gerolstein"

New York: Boosey & Co. (1890)

644, Broadway

Some of these resources may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the library or the institution.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
There liv’d in times now long gone
A duke among my predecessors,
Whose vaunt it was that he could vie
At drinking with the best professors,
Whose vaunt it was that he could vie
At drinking with the best professors.
The beaker he was won’t to drain
Took twenty full quarts to replenish,
His henchman o’er and o’er again
Unceasing fill’d it high with Rhenish,
His henchman o’er and o’er again
Unceasing fill’d it high with Rhenish,
Fill’d high, fill’d high. Ah!

[Refrain]
Ah!
Dear old man, how he would swill,
And what a cup was his to fill,
And what a cup, and what a cup, and what a cup was his to fill;
Ah! And what a cup was his to fill,
And what a cup was his to fill, was his to fill.

[Verse 2]
One day, somehow, it came to pass It fell and was to atoms shiver’d,
And as he sigh’d, “There goes my glass,”
His voice with deep emotion quiver’d,
And as he sigh’d, “There goes my glass,”
His deep emotion quiver’d.
Another, when they brought next day,
“No,” said he,
“That’s not my old goblet,
From life I’d rather pass away
Than from another sip one droplet,”
From life he’d rather pass away
Than from another sip one droplet,
Than sip one droplet, Ah!

[Refrain]

Download
COinS
 

The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.