Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)

Subject: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 19 Feb 22 - 02:16 PM

Three Acres and a Cow, from Francis Shergold (not the music hall song). Lyrics add?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0sigvh6bZ0

We’ve toiled my lads both early and late
To earn a few good meals?
While Squire and Farmer lived in state
And crushed us ‘neath their heel

But brighter days are coming lass
To you and me I’ll vow?
And those who took us by the hand
Three acres and a cow

Just think on that my own dear wife
And soothe your careworn brow
Good fortune bring to you and them
Three acres and a cow

The heavy clouds are forming fast
Though dim the peasant’s lot?
The bad old days for them are past
And hope shines in our lot

There is a vote within this land
That we shall too soon have known
And those who took us by the hand
Three acres and a cow

Just think on that my own dear wife
And soothe your careworn brow
Good fortune bring to those who sing
Three acres and a cow

"Three acres and a cow" was a political slogan used both for and against the Liberals in the UK General Election of 1885. It spawned many songs, mostly music hall in style, but Francis Shergold's seems unique to him so I thought it worth mentioning here.

I note that John Baxter is also hot on the trail, got further than I did, and has kindly shared his research here (get 'em while they're hot!), although my transcription above differs marginally from his:

http://folksongandmusichall.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Three-acres-many-songs-v4.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 19 Feb 22 - 02:21 PM

None of the question marks should be in the above transcription, obviously, lol.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 19 Feb 22 - 02:47 PM

When I married my wife, her father promised me two acres and a cow. I'm still waiting for the land!

Max Miller

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 19 Feb 22 - 02:55 PM

Anything that begins as a political slogan inevitably ends up as a joke.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 19 Feb 22 - 03:05 PM

And for anyone who doesn't want to wade through the pdf, the more famous version of Three Acres and a Cow found on broadsides and in Roy Palmer's book The Painful Plough can currently be found here:

Broadsides as images:

http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/search/roud/24484

Text with notes:

http://folksongandmusichall.com/index.php/three-acres-and-a-cow/

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Feb 22 - 07:47 AM

Nothing to do with the thread but I once stayed in pub in Bampton where a man paid for his pint with a bag of vegetables! I was told it was Francis Shergold's brother.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Acres and a Cow (Francis Shergold)
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 20 Feb 22 - 08:35 AM

Dace the Gnome: Lol, yes, I grew up somewhere you could trade pheasants for cash at the back door of the local. I haven't seen veg bartered in a pub, but when I was a kid our elderly neighbour used to leave generous veg boxes on our doorstep from time to time (we paid everyone back with excess fruit).

Offering to the music gods: Francis Shergold also recorded a version of Needlecases thats well worth listening to if you like traditional singers. An under-performed song imo like Three Acres:

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IugIDDsvsxM

Lyrics: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/needlecases.html