The history and politics of the English protest song

1646

The World Is Turned Upside Down

Tune: The King Enjoys His Own Again
Lyrics: Martin Parker

Listen to me and you shall hear,
News hath not been this thousand year:
Since Herod, Caesar, and many more,
You never heard the like before.
Holy-dayes are despis’d.
New fashions are devis’d.
Old Christmas is kickt out of Town.
Yet let’s be content, and the times lament,
You see the world turn’d upside down.

The wise men did rejoyce to see
Our Saviour Christs Nativity:
The Angels did good tidings bring,
The Sheepheards did rejoyce and sing.
Let all honest men,
Take example by them.
Why should we from good Laws be bound?
Yet let’s be content, &c.

Command is given, we must obey,
And quite forget old Christmas day:
Kill a thousand men, or a Town regain,
We will give thanks and praise amain.
The wine pot shall clinke,
We will feast and drinke.
And then strange motions will abound,
Yet let’s be content, &c.

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, &c.

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, &c.

To conclude, I’le tell you news that's right,
Christmas was kil’d at Nasbie fight:
Charity was slain at that same time,
Jack Tell troth too, a friend of mine,
Likewise then did die,
Rost beef and shred pie,
Pig, Goose and Capon no quarter found.
Yet let’s be content, and the times lament,
You see the world is quite turn'd round.

Lyrics

This song was circulating in London on Easter Day 1646. It combines traditional concerns of a ‘world turned upside down’ and complaints at the loss of charitable hospitality, with a new tune that became a royalist anthem. Protesting at Parliament’s abolition of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun, the line ‘Christmas was kil'd at Nasbie fight’ refers to Parliament’s decisive victory at the Battle of Naseby on 14 June 1645. Collective action against the Christmas ban took place in 1646.

Cause: Royalist
Theme: Overview/England | Impact of Change | Freedoms
Addressed to: English
Target of Protest: Political Faction
Proposal/Solution: Armed Rebellion