How Stands the Glass Around

"How Stands the Glass Around", also referred to as "General Wolfe's Song", is an English folk song. The lyrics express the suffering of soldiers, wherefore the song was primarily popular among people serving in the military. It deals with the helplessness experienced during war and the boldness demanded in the military, but also about reducing fear and pain by consuming alcohol. One paper suggests that it was the favourite song of Alexander Hamilton.

Background
The oldest known reference to the song is an alternative text written for a ballad opera in the year 1729. It became notorious after Wolfe was reported to have sung it before the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759), gaining thereby the alternative title of "General Wolfe's Song".

Lyrics
" How stands the glass around For shame, ye take no care, me boys How stands the glass around Let mirth and wine abound The trumpets sound The colours, they are flying, boys To fight, kill or wound May we still be found Content with our hard fare, me boys On the cold ground

Why, soldiers, why Should we be melancholy, boys Why, soldiers, why Whose business ’tis to die What sighing fie Damn fear, drink on, be jolly boys ’Tis he, you and I Cold, hot, wet or dry We’re always bound to follow, boys And scorn to fly

’Tis but in vain I mean not to upbraid you, boys ’Tis but in vain For soldiers to complain Should next campaign Send us to Him that made us, boys We’re free from pain But should we remain A bottle and kind landlady Cures all again"

Further use

 * The composer William Shield made use of the song for his opera Siege of Gibraltar (1780).
 * The sonata Siege of Quebec by William de Krifft begins with the melody of How Stands the Glass Around.
 * The band Wilderun conceived a metal arrangement of How Stands the Glass Around.

Trivia

 * Alexander Graydon quotes the song in his memoirs.