God Speed The Plow, The Farmers Arms or Success to the Farmer

Let the wealthy and great live in splendor and state.

I envy them not, I declare it,

For I grow my own rams, my own ewes, my own lambs,

And I shear my own fleece and I wear it.



By plowing and sowing and reaping and mowing

All nature provides me with plenty-

With a cellar well stored and a plentiful board,

And my garden affords every dainty.



For here I am king. I can dance, drink and sing.

Let no one approach as a stranger.

I will hunt when it's quiet. Come on, let us try it!

Dull thinking drives anyone crazy.



I have lawns and bowers. I have fruits and flowers,

And the lark is my morning alarmer.

So you jolly boys now, here's godspeed the plow.

Long life and success to the farmer.


I first came on this poem/lyric in the oddest way. I bought a jug (pitcher) at a sale that had this printed on the side. Much latter I found recordings of it as a song. GOD SPEED THE PLOW -- "God speed the plough, 'a wish for success or prosperity,' was originally a phrase in a 15th-century song sung by ploughmen on Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Day, which is the end of the Christmas holidays, when farm laborers returned to the plough. On this day ploughmen customarily went from door to door dressed in white and drawing a plough, soliciting 'plough money' to spend in celebration. "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).

Here is another version.

Come all jolly fellows,
That delight in being mellow,
Attend unto me and sit easy.
For a pint when it's quiet,
My lads let us try it,
For dull thinking can drive a man crazy.

I have lawns, I have bowers.
I have fruit, I have flowers,
And the lark is my morning alarmer;
So, my jolly boys, now,
Here's good luck to the plough (God speed the plough);
Long life and success to the farmer.

Come, lads, when you're able;
Draw near to my table.
Let me hear not one word of complaining.
For the jingling of glasses,
All music surpasses,
And I like to see bottles a-draining.

For here I am King;
I can laugh, drink and sing,
And let no man approach as a stranger;
But show me the ass
That refuses a glass
And I'll treat him to hay in a manger.

Let the wealthy and great
Roll in splendor and state.
I envy them not, I declare it;
For I eat my own ham,
My own chicken and lamb,
I shear my own fleece and I wear it.

By ploughing and sowing,
By reaping and mowing,
Dame Nature rewards me a-plenty.
I've a cellar well stored,
And a plentiful board,
And my garden affords every dainty.

Recorded by Muckram Wakes and Strawhead
 

The Sheep Searing Song by Ashley Hutchings

Now Winter is Past and the Summer is here
So it's down to the meadows the sheep for to shear
To wash the fine flock in the pools of the Thames
To clip them and tar them and wash them again
When the wickets are set in the bed of the stream
We drive in the sheep, their fleeces to clean
With clippers and tar then the shearers come round
To cut off the fleeces and seal up the wounds
When sheep shearing's done then it's homeward we'll come
The men go to Bampton to toast the black ram
And the wool's bound for Witney, fine blankets to make
So women, give thanks for your family's sake

Recorded by June Tabor singing with the Albion Band

The Albion River Hymn
A Celebration of the River Thames

This song can be heard on the CD by Ashley Hutchings,
Along the Downs -The countryside Collection Album

The Sheep Shearing Song
was written and copyrighted by
Ashley Hutchings

Milk Maid in the Sun by Foster Myles

Click on Image to Enlarge

Myles Birket Foster (1825-1899)

When in Pain Recall Paine...

Moderation in temper is always a virtue. But moderation in principle is always a vice. - Thomas Paine

Canny Shepherd Laddie

There's songs aboot oor soldiers and oor sailors by the score,
Of tinkers and of tailors and of others there's galore;
But I'll sing ye a song that you've never heard before,
It's the canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

Oh the shepherds o the Coquet, the Alwin and the Rede,
The Bowment and the Breamish, they're all the same breed,
Wi their collie dog beside them and a stick with horn heid
It's the canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

They climb oot ower the mountain ere it's turned the break o' day,
Through the bent and moss hags and round bogs they wend their way,
Quick tae see a mawkit yin or a sheep that's strayed away,
It's the canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

They send the collie around the sheep with a yell o "Gan oot wide"
Then whistle with the notes so shrill the dog drops in his stride
"Come by Moss! Doon a bit I'll tak my stick oot ower yer hide"
It's the canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

If the lambing time is stormy he will curse and he will swear
There's a yowe that's lost its lamb and I've skinned an auld yowe there,
Some o them have ta'en the sickness, nae mair trouble can I bear
It's the canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

In the back-end tae the marts he'll gang if the prices they are dear
To celebrate he'll treat his pals tae whisky and tae beer,
But if the prices they are bad, it taks a dram tae cheer
The canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

In the winter when its stormy and drifts are piling high
He'll never flinch tae tak the risk that in the snow he may die
His first care is his sheep are settled and sheltered safe may lie
The canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

At Alwinton they may turn oot tae see the Shepherds' Show
Then into Foreman's for a drink they with their cronies go,
They'll argue and they'll sing and shout, but fecht, well bless me no
The canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

Now if ye've gaun among them as A've done for forty years
Nae kinder hearted folk you'll meet if you look far or near
The kettl'e set a boiling and they cry "Sit you doon here"
The canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

Chorus

A've said nae words aboot their wives A'm shair there is no need
But in every house I've been tae yet they seem tae be the heid,
And I'm sure you'll all agree with me, it taks a hell of a good wife to breed
A canny shepherd laddie o' the hills.

From Herd Laddie o the Glen (1988)
Songs of a Border Shepherd
Willie Scott
Shepherd and Singer
Compiled by Alison McMorland

Also Sung by Jimmy White, Yetlington, Northumberland
Recorded by Peter Kennedy
Issued on Caedmon/Topic LP The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 3 Jack of all Trades
These two verses, without any chorus, seem to be all that Jimmy White sang for Peter Kennedy

JACK IN THE GREEN FESTIVAL 2008

HASTINGS, England:
JACK IN THE GREEN FESTIVAL 2008
 
This looks like great fun!

http://www.hastingsjack.co.uk/main.html

http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/479/Video--traditional-Jack-in.4054059.jp

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pg23/2469090690/

JACK IN THE GREEN
(Martin Graebe)

1. Now winter is over I'm happy to say
And we're all met again in our ribbons so gay
And we're all met again, to rejoice in the spring
And to go about dancing with Jack in the Green
Jack in the Green, Jack in the Green
And we'll all dance each springtime with Jack in the Green

2. Now Jack in the Green is a very strange man
Though he dies every autumn, he's born every spring
And each year on his birthday, we will dance through the street
And in return Jacky will ripen our wheat
Jack in the Green, Jack in the Green
And we'll all dance each springtime with Jack in the Green

3. Now all you young maidens I'd have you beware
Of touching young Jack, for there's strange powers there.
For if you but touch him, there is many will tell
Like the wheat in our fields so your belly will swell.
Jack in the Green, Jack in the Green
And we'll all dance each springtime with Jack in the Green

4. With his mantle he'll cover the trees that are bare
Our gardens he'll trim with his jacket so fair
But our fields he will sow with the hair on his head
And our grain it will ripen till old Jack is dead
Jack in the Green, Jack in the Green
And we'll all dance each springtime with Jack in the Green

5. Now the sun is half up and it signals the hour
That the children arrive with their garlands of flowers
So now let the music and dancing begin
And touch the good heart of young Jack in the Green
Jack in the Green, Jack in the Green
And we'll all dance each springtime with Jack in the Green


Jack in the Green was written & copyrighted by Martin Graebe in 1972. BF
This is the original version of the song, as posted by Graebe on his Website.

Young Knitter Asleep

Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805).