Lyr Req: The farmers anthem

Subject: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: GUEST,John Savill
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 02:32 PM

Has anyone got the full words and possibly tune for the Farmers Anthem which often appears on cups etc in the Uk. All I can remember of it is "jolly boys now here's god speed the plough and good lick and good health to the farmer"

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SUSSEX TOAST
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 02:55 PM

Commonly known as the Sussex Toast, here's one version of it.

Check in the Digital Tradition above for others.

Come all jolly fellows that long to be mellow,
Attend unto me and sit easy,
For a pint when it's quiet, my boys let us try it,
Dull thinking will drive a man crazy.

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

Draw near to my table, my boys when you're able,
Let me not hear one word of complaining.
For the clinking of glasses, all music surpasses,
And I love to see bottles a-draining:

O here I am king, I can dance, drink and sing,
Let no man approach as a stranger,
But show me the ass, who refuses a glass,
And I'll treat him to hay in a manger:

Let the wealthy and great roll in splendour and state,
I envy them not, I declare it.
For I eat my own ham, my own chicken and lamb,
And I shear my own fleece and I wear it:

With ploughing and sowing, and reaping and mowing,
Kind Nature provides me with plenty.
I've a cellar well stored, and a beautiful board,
And a garden affords every dainty:


I can't help with the tune but it may be in the DT as a Midi.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 03:01 PM

To the best of MY knowledge , the bit that was on mugs was the inspiration for Eric Winter to write the rest of it !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 07:08 PM

Then there's the Gordon Hall version. Let me dig it out.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 07:33 PM

The song was issued on broadsides as 'The Farmer' during the 19th century (see several editions at the Bodleian website), and appeared in The Universal Songster and similar publications. Mugs quoting from it appear from the mid-18th century onward.

Like a lot of other people, Eric Winter wrote a tune for it; his may be the best known among revival singers. Collectors don't seem to have paid much attention to the song (like as not they already knew it from the mugs) but Dr Gardiner got a set from Frank Gamblin at Portsmouth Workhouse, August 1907, which appears in Marrow Bones.

For more information, see thread Farmer's Toast / Godspeed the Plough, which provides links to other discussions and two (unattributed) texts in the DT.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FARMER'S TOAST
From: Dave Hunt
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 08:31 PM

The version that I have sung for over forty years is this;

The Farmer's Toast

Come all my jolly fellows that likes to be mellow
Attend unto me and sit easy
My glass is now dry and to sing I will try
Dull thinking can make a man crazy
For here I am king, I can dance laugh and sing
Let no man appear as a stranger
For the jingling of glasses all music surpasses
And I likes to see bottles a-draining

Fol de rol de rol dol, fol de rol de rol day
And I likes to see bottles a-draining

Let the wealthy and great roll in splendour and state
I envy them not I declare it,
I'll eat me own ham, me chicken and lamb
I'll shear me own sheep and I'll wear it
Were it not for my seeding you'd get but poor feeding
I'm sure you would all starve without me
I'm always content, when I've paid me rent
And happy when friends are about me

Fol de rol de rol dol, fol de rol de rol day
And happy when friends are about me

So come all friends of mine you are welcome to dine
There's always a place at my table
I've a plentiful board and a cellar well stored
So come eat and drink all you're able
I have lawns I have bowers, I have fruits I have flowers
The lark is my morning alarmer
So me jolly boys now, here's God Speed the Plough
Long life and success to the farmer

Fol de rol etc...

Can't remember where I got it from though..... It's a long time ago!
Dave.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: RTim
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 08:40 PM

Dave Hunt beat me to the punch -
His version of The Farmer's Toast is from Frank Purslow's book - Marrowbones (new edition edited by Malcolm Douglas above!) Page 38 - Page 31 in original edition.
It was collected in 1907 by George Gardiner from Frank Gamblin at Portsmouth Workhouse.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Tradsinger
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 03:27 AM

We call it the breakfast song down here in Gloucestershire (Farmer's Toast ...... Breakfast song....?).

Apologies

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Folkiedave
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 04:16 AM

From Gordon Hall

I have hunters to ride,
A thousand acres set-aside
And the subsidies keep rolling in,
I drink champagne for lunch
Russian Caviar I crunch
And I pickle my false teeth in gin.
I've got lawns I've got bowers,
Ten jacuzzis five showers
and a holiday villa in "??* (Bognor?)
I've got videos and tellies,
Two Range Rovers green wellies,
Sod you Jack I'm alright says the farmer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: GUEST,Farmers granddaughter
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 04:27 AM

Ah... Farming from the perspective of the land owner, rather than the person who actually gets up at 4.00am to milk cows in all weathers, spends hours driving round picking up stupid sheep who've got themselves turned over or stuck in brambles and shifts more muck every week than most people see in their lives.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: GUEST,John Savill
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 07:56 AM

Wow!! Thank you all so much

John Savill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 08:35 AM

Their has been an historic hierarchy from the king to the farm labourer. Most were farm labourers. "Farmers" in the song, a romantic creation?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 07:43 PM

This is the oldest thread we have on this song: godspeed the plough. From there you can follow links to 5 other threads and 2 songs in the DT.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The farmers anthem
From: The Doctor
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 05:26 AM

Martyn Wyndham-Read recorded it on Maypoles to Mistletoe (1998) as Farmer's Anthem, Whaley and Fletcher on ...Their Fine Array as Farmer's Toast, but both to the same tune. They note that it also goes under the title Sussex Toast.