ALL OF A ROW

As the harvest comes on and the reaping begins,
The farmer the fruit of the earth gathers in.
In mirth let us talk till the season be gone,
And at night give a holler till it's all of a row,
Till it's all of a row,
At night give a holler till it's all of a row.

Then early next morning our hooks we do grind,
Away to the cornfield to reap and to bind.
Our foreman looks back and he sees 'em behind,
And he gives a loud hallo, bring it all well behind,
Bring it all well behind.
He gives a loud hallo, bring it all well behind.

Oh then says our foreman, behind and before,
We will have a fresh wet and a half a pint more.
So, my jolly boys, to the end we will go,
To the end we will go till it's all of a row,
Till it's all of a row,
To the end we will go till it's all of a row.

When the night it comes on, to the farm we will steer,
To partake a good supper and to drink a strong beer,
In wishing the farmer such blessings in life,
As in drinking a health unto him and his wife,
Unto him and his wife,
As in drinking a health unto him and his wife.

Our wheat's all in; oats and barley abound.
Here's success to the farmer who ploughs through the ground.
As to this wheat stubble, it to turnips we'll sow,
And so we'll continue till it's all of a row,
Till it's all of a row,
And so we'll continue till it's all of a row.


I sang this in the Banbury production of Larkrise - 1982 -
I was Bommer, the King of the Mower.

Tim Radford