Yorkshire Garland
 

An Acre of Land : Version 2

 
Performed by:
John Hodson
Recorded in:
Aldborough
Recorded on:
29/04/1972
Recorded by:
Steve Gardham
Genre:
Agriculture
Keywords:
Catalogue,
Farming,
Dialect,
Farm implements
 

Archival information

TYG:
24
Key:
F
Time Signature:
6/8
Roud id:
21093
Laws id:
Master title:
An Acre of Land
Places Cited:

Lyrics

1
Me father bought me an acre o’ land,
Sing ee, sing ay, sing ivy,
Me father bought me an acre o’ land,
And a bunch of holly green ivy.

2
I ploughed it up with a team o’ rats,

3
I rolled it down with a rolling pin,

4
I harrowed it with me finger nails,

5
I sew it down with caraway seeds,

6
I rept it with me pocket-knife,

7
I led it home on a mouse’s back,

8
The mouse came back with a broken back

9
I threshed it with a wing of a louse,

10
I stocked it on the dairy shelf,

11
And now we’re living on the fat o’ the land,

12
If you want any more you can sing it yourself,

Stanza 3 was learnt from Ethel Grinsdale who curiously did not include it in her version.
On first singing, like Mrs Grinsdale, Mr Hodson sang stanzas 9 and 10 before 7 and 8.
Mr Hodson did not sing stanza 12, but added when he had finished the song, ‘We sometimes added that on the end.’ It is of course a commonplace ending in such catalogue songs.

Archival information

TYG:
24
Key:
F
Time Signature:
6/8
Roud id:
21093
Laws id:
Master title:
An Acre of Land
Places Cited: