Andy G posted this in another thread, buried in with some other songs. It's best to post only one song per message, and to put the song title in the title of the message. but I rescued the song, Andy, and it's all right now.
GOBBLERS IN THE GARDEN
(Kipper Family)
Well when first I wed me Norfolk girl, we all went back to Trunch
To drink a toast, and cut the cake, and have a bite of lunch
Now she and I was eager to start the honeymoon
But her father made a speech which went on half the afternoon
He told me:
CHORUS: Treat me daughter decent don't do her any ill
And when I go I'll leave you my smallholding in my will
I'll leave me muck heap and me silage me slurry and me swill
And all the great big gobblers in the garden
When finally he finished me eyelids felt like lead
So me and my new missus said we thought 'twas time for bed
In the coach I said I thought we'd never get away from him
But when we cuddled up the driver turned round with a grin
And he said: CHORUS
He drove us to our lodgings and he said cheerio
But I finally made him realise it was him that ought to go
And soon we lay together me wife say go to town
But my ambition withered when a window-pane flew down
This voice said: CHORUS
She said you've really got to laugh but I was proper riled
I was so fed up I couldn't even raise a smile
I couldn't see the joke at all. All I saw was red
For every time we kissed he'd call from underneath the bed
And he said: CHORUS
Now we've been married seven years and we've got three young pups
Well twice he went on holiday and once we tied him up
And every hour of every day his promises we've heard
Now me and my old twelve-bore think that's time he kept his word
His words are: CHORUS
Thank you, Andy G. that was inspiring. Wolfgang posted the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index in the other thread, but the thread didn't go very far after that. To keep everything together, I think I'll post it here.
-Joe Offer-
Treat My Daughter Kindly (The Little Farm)
DESCRIPTION: The singer meets and falls in love with a girl. Her father asks him to "Treat my daughter kindly, never do her harm. When I die I'll leave you my little house and farm." The two are happily married and live a contented life
AUTHOR: James Bland
EARLIEST DATE: 1878 (sheet music for "The Farmer's Daughter, or The Little Chickens in the Garden" published)
KEYWORDS: courting marriage father
FOUND IN: US(MA,MW,NE,SE,So) Britain(England) Ireland
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan 119, "I Once Did Know a Farmer" (1 text plus an excerpt)
Randolph 668, "The Little Chickens in the Garden" (1 text plus a fragment, 1 tune)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 175, "The Farmer's Daughter" (1 text)
Warner-TraditionalAmericanFolkSongsFromAnneAndFrankWarnerColl 77, "Treat My Daughter Kindly (or, The Little Farm)" (1 text)
Bronner/Eskin-FolksongAlivePart2 47, "I Once Did Know a Farmer" (1 text, 1 tune)
McBride-FlowerOfDunaffHillAndMoreTradSongsInnishowen 68, "Treat My Daughter Kindly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Wt 337, "All the Little Chickens in the Garden" (1 text)
ST R668 (Partial)
Roud #2552
RECORDINGS:
Riley Puckett, "Farmer's Daughter" (Columbia 15686-D, 1931; rec. 1928)
Arthur Smith Trio, "The Farmer's Daughter" (Bluebird B-7893, 1938)
BROADSIDES:
NLScotland, L.C.Fol.70(62a), "The Chickens in the Garden," Poet's Box (Dundee), c. 1890
File: R668Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song ListGo to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or DiscographyThe Ballad Index Copyright 2021 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.