This song was the rage in England during the Renaissance era. A new, miraculous plant had
been brought back from the New World. It was the toast, or rather the puff, of high society.
Many properties were attributed to tobacco at that time. The song's author has his point of
view on a unique characteristic of tobacco.
My manuscript copy does not contain any references to the author but I recall it being from a work by Tobias Hume of the same name, Musicall Humors published around 1600.
In the late 1970's I was the lutenist for Musica Antiqua of Minneapolis, a renaissance music
ensemble. This song was performed by our ensemble with tenor voice and lyra viol. It always
generated chuckles.
Musicall Humors
Tobacco, Tobacco,
Sing sweetly for Tobacco,
Tobacco is like love,
O love it,
For you see I will prove it.
Love maketh leane the fatte mens tumor,
So doth Tobacco,
Love still dries uppe the wonton humor,
So doth Tobacco,
Love makes men sayle from shore to shore,
So doth Tobacco,
Tis found love often makes men poor,
So doth Tobacco,
Love makes men scorn coward's feares,
So doth Tobacco,
Love often sets men by the eares,
So doth Tobacco,
Tobaccoe, Tobaccoe,
Sing sweetly for Tobaccoe,
Tobaccoe is like love,
O love it,
For you see I have proved it.
Please note that spelling had not yet been standardized and even within a single print or publication
the spelling varied.