The song can be found at the folkinfo Website, http://joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/251.html THE SHEPHERD'S SONG We shepherds are the best of men, That e'er trod English ground; When we come to an alehouse We value not a crown. We spend our money freely, We pay before we go; There's no ale on the wolds, Where the stormy winds do blow. (Chorus) We spend our money freely, We pay before we go; There's no ale on the wolds, Where the stormy winds do blow. A man that is a shepherd Does need a valiant heart, He must not be faint-hearted, But boldly do his part. He must not be faint-hearted, Be it rain, or frost, or snow, With no ale on the wolds Where the stormy winds do blow. (Chorus) He must not be faint-hearted, Be it rain, or frost, or snow, With no ale on the wolds Where the stormy winds do blow. When I kept sheep on Blockley Hills It made my heart to ache To see the ewes hang out their tongues And hear the lambs to bleat; Then I plucked up my courage And o'er the hills did go, And penned them in the fold While the stormy winds did blow. (Chorus) Then I plucked up my courage And o'er the hills did go, And penned them in the fold While the stormy winds did blow. As soon as I had folded them I turned me back in haste Unto a jovial company Good liquor for to taste; For drink and jovial company They are my heart's delight, Whilst my sheep lie asleep All the fore-part of the night. (Chorus) For drink and jovial company They are my heart's delight, Whilst my sheep lie asleep All the fore-part of the night. Source: Lucy Broadwood and J A Fuller Maitland. 1893, English County Songs, Leadenhall Press, London Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on the song: We Shepherds Are the Best of Men DESCRIPTION: "We shepherds are the best of men that e'er trod English ground." We spend freely at the ale-house. We pen our sheep safely in spite of hale, rain and snow; then "unto a jovial company good liquor for to taste" AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1793 (according to Broadwood) KEYWORDS: drink storm England nonballad sheep shepherd FOUND IN: Britain(England(South,West)) REFERENCES (2 citations): Broadwood/Maitland, pp. 82-83, "The Shepherd's Song" (1 text, 1 tune) Williams-Thames, pp. 241-242, "Shepherds Are the Best of Men" (1 text) (also Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 116) Roud #284 RECORDINGS: Fred Jordan, "We Shepherds Are the Best of Men" (on Voice20) CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "Ye Gentlemen of England (I)" [Laws K2] (stucture and theme:virtue and courage of an occupational group) cf. "The Lonely Life a Shepherd Leads" (contrary viewpoint) NOTES: Yates, Musical Traditions site Voice of the People suite "Notes - Volume 20" - 15.1.04: "Fred learnt this from the song-collector Fred Hamer, who had it from Lucy Broadwood's English County Songs [1893]." Broadwood said it was taken in 1793 in Gloucestershire (source: "The Shepherds' Song" in Song Database at the Folkinfo site). Last updated in version 3.8 File: RcWSATBM
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