Is this the one? THE PEAR TREE Now me and two other boys went on the spree; On our way we met a pear tree. Up this pear tree I did climb, For to get some pears I felt inclined, [Cho.] To me ay me oh, me am-ma like a daisy, Why fol the diddle, to me why fol the day. When up this pear tree I'd got landed (The other two lads from me they'd squandered), Were not the pears that pleased me, But a man and a woman came under the tree. Now with kisses he embraced her, Swore for many a mile he'd chased her; Pulled off his coat to save her gown, And he gently sits this fair maid down. Now I shook this pear tree just like thunder; The man and woman ran away in wonder. Were not the pears that pleased me, But a damn' good coat left under the tree. Now off to town I ran like fire, The owner of the coat being my desire; The owner of the coat was nivver found out, So I got a damn' good coat for nowt. Come all ye lads wherever you may be, Nivver go a-courtin under a pear tree; Nivver pull your coats off to save their gowns, For the pears they will come tumbling down. As a tale all versions cited in Arne-Thompson, Folk Tale Type 1355B are continental European, as are addition ones cited by R. H. Robbins in 'The Hundred Merry Tales'. But an American tale version is in V. Randolph's 'Pissing in the Snow', and song versions abound. Three traditional versions of "The Pear Tree" are in 'Folk Music Journal' (EFDSS) and a different setting is in 'Tom and the Parson' in Alfred Williams' 'Folk Songs of the Upper Thames'. The oldest version that I know of is 'The Crossed Couple" on a broadside ballad "The Crost Couple" in my internet broadside ballad index as ZN1366. Two woodcuts from the 1660's showing the lovers on the ground and the boy peeping from the tree are earlier than the extant copies of the ballad. X:1 T:The Pear Tree N:Palmer's Everyman's Book of British Ballads L:1/8 M:2/4 K:D A|A A/ A/ F/ F/ D|A A/ A/ F z|G F E D|E/ E/ D Cz|B B A F|G F E D/ D/|F D C D|E E C A,/ A,/|D3/2 C/ B, A,|D/ D/ D/ E/ F D|A A/ A/ A/ B/ A/ G/|F E/ E/ D|]
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