I say come now, Jester.
Tell us what you have in the basket.

Since your Majesty doth ask it,
I will sing about the basket…
With a willow willow waley and a nonny nonny no.
Then to make it really merry,
We will add a hey down derry.
To the willow and the waley singing gaily as we go.

With a willow willow waley, we will sing about it gaily,
With a merry little derry and a nonny nonny no!
Yes a merry little derry.
It is very necessary…
To the willow willow waley and a hey nonny no.

What about the basket?

I’m telling you, Sire.

Well hurry up.

This delay is not my fault, sir.
Any minstrel worth his salt, sir.
Can not sing without a waley or a nonny nonny no.
Not to mention hi low lilly…
Or a dilly dilly dilly.
And the merry little derry which is very come hill fo.
Yes, we sing our stories gaily with a willow willow waley…
And the merry little derry which is very come hill fo.
And if you are feeling silly,
You can add a dilly dilly…
To the willow willow waley and a hey nonny no.

But what about the basket?

Oh I oh I was just getting to that, sir.

Well, proceed.

Does the basket hold a biscuit?
Or perhaps there is a tisket?
Or a tasket in the basket…
With a nonny nonny no?
But from Italy I brought it.
The Italian Court doth sport it.
But they don’t sing willow waley or a nonny nonny no.
Though they sing about it gaily,
Though they sing about it daily,
They do not sing willow waley or a nonny nonny no.
They do lots of tra la la-ing…
And a bit of ha ha ha-ing,
But no willow willow waley or a hey nonny no!

You say you brought this basket from the Italian Court?

Yes, Sire.

What could they be doing with baskets at the Italian Court?

Oh. Oh… the basket? Well…

In Italy, at harvest time,
When the grape is on the vine,

The people all gather, and they sing about the wine.
They fill their baskets ’til they overflow.
Then from hand to hand the baskets…
Gaily go!

In sunny Italy… sunny Italy…
There’s a dance that they dance so prettily.
High up!
Pass the basket. Pass it right along.
[Pass the basket.]
[Pass the basket.]

Hey! Hey!
Hey! It’s so rollicky.
Oh! So rollicky.
When you dance it,
You feel so frolicky.
High up!
Pass the basket. Pass it right along.
[Pass the basket.]
[Pass the basket.]

It’s a dance you should dance with a bella bella girl.
She’s a bella girl if she’s a Tarantella girl.
A dance of romance, you remember all your life.
You start out with a basket,
And wind up with a wife.
A wife!
A wife!
A wife for the rest of your life!
Hey!
One bambino and two bambino,
So pass the basket, and pass the vino. And…
High Up!
Join the merry throng…
As we pass it pass it pass it right along.

[Instrumental interlude]

In sunny Italy… sunny Italy…
There’s a dance that they dance so prettily.
High up!
Pass the basket. Pass it right along.
[Pass the basket.]
[Pass the basket.]

Oh! Oh!
Oh! It’s so rollicky.
Oh! So rollicky.
When you dance it,
You feel so frollicky.
High up!
Pass the basket. Pass it right along.
[Pass the basket.]
[Pass the basket.]

It’s a dance you should dance with a bella bella girl.
She’s a bella girl if she’s a Tarantella girl.
A a dance of romance, you remember all your life.
You start out with a basket,
And wind up with a wife.
A wife!
A wife!
A wife for the rest of your life!
Hey!
One bambino and two bambino,
So pass the basket, and pass the vino. And…
High Up!
Join the merry throng…
As we pass it [pass it] pass it [pass it] pass it [pass it] right along.
So pass the basket right along!