Drink up thy zider/I am a cider drinker
Last season took months of perseverance, copious amounts of the Three Lions Taunton traditional allied to the ability to not notice others are laughing at you or even care but "I am cider drinker" took off. Every game this fine homage to the beautiful apple beverage can now be heard in its full magnificence at least in the Eastend. Beyond the Cow Shed " I am a cider drinker" has not taken hold in City's fans repertoire at away games but this is more to do with how marginalised City's vocal fans are at away games.
Bizarrely to this ciderhead very few supporters actually know the words to drink up thy zider considering it has been played at Ashton Gate for aeons. Unlike "I am cider drinker" there are several versions of "drink up thy zider" with the second and third versres seemingly confusing all the good red boys and girls in the land. The version City play at our cider temple is thus : -
Drink up thy zider George, pass us round the mug
Drink up thy zider George, the garden's ver'nigh dug
Thy cheeks bin gettin' redder
From Charter'ouse to Cheddar
An' there's still more zider in the jug
(Chorus)
Drink up thy zider, Drink up thy zider,
For tonight we'll merry be
We'll knock the milk churns over
And roll 'em in the clover
For the corn's 'alf-cut and so be we!
Drink up thy zider George, thee bissn't goin' far
Drink up thy zider George, thee's gettin' quite a star
There's dung o'er all thy tat'ers
An' 'alfway up thy gaiters
An' there's still more zider in the jar!
(Repeat chorus)
Drink up thy zider George, get up off thick mat
Drink up thy zider George, put on thy girt big 'at
We'm off to Barrow Gurney
For to see my brother Ernie
An' there's still more zider in the vat!
(Repeat chorus)
Drink up thy zider George, 'tis time we 'ad a rest
Drink up thy zider George, the finest ever pressed
There's nothing like good cider
To make your smile grow wider
An' there's still more zider in the West!
(Repeat chorus]
The fans version of the chorus does seem open to interpretation. What does appear to be the majorities choice seems to involve love and understanding directed to that bunch of long ball merchants up Whorefield. It may horrify a few but the Wurzels were not thinking of Gasheads and really wrote this as the chorus
Drink up thy zider, Drink up thy zider,
For tonight we'll merry be
We'll knock the milk churns over
And roll 'em in the clover
For the corn's 'alf-cut and so be we!
The cider grail now is to keep on pushing on "drink up thy zider" as well in the Eastend. Both songs sung together would be immense. If we could get the Wee hoolies to stop singing faster than a Chaos UK track while waving at the away fans and upsetting the Daily Mail readers. It would really make the Eastend sound like Mr Plods dogs reproductive area to hear both songs sung in full one after the other. Liverpool have songs like Poor Scouser Tommy and Liverbird on my chest often sung by thousands but our own club has songs as uplifting, anthemic and unique to Bristol City as these but fans do not really use them to their full potential. Tis time to do it properly Wurzels!!!!
