From The Agricultural Lock-Out of 1874 by Frederick Clifford (Edinburgh & London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1875), page 374:


WE ARE ALL JOLLY FELLOWS WHO FOLLOW THE PLOUGH*

1. It was early one morning at the break of the day,
The cocks were a-crowing; the farmers did say,
"Come, rise, my good fellows—come, rise with good will,
For your horses want something their bellies to fill."

2. When four o'clock comes then up we rise,
And into the stable, boys, so merrily flies;
With rubbing and scrubbing our horses, I vow,
We are all jolly fellows that follow the plough.

3. When six o'clock comes, at breakfast we meet,
And beef, bread, and pork, boys, so heartily eat;
With a piece in our pocket, I swear and I vow,
We are all jolly fellows that follow the plough.

4. Then we harness our horses, and away then we go,
And trip o'er the plain, boys, as nimble as does;
And when we come there, so jolly and bold,
To see which of us the straight furrow can hold.

5. Our master came to us, and thus he did say,
"What have you been doing, boys, this long day?
You have not ploughed an acre, I swear and I vow,
And you're d——d idle fellows that follow the plough."

6. I stepped up to him and made this reply,
"We have all ploughed an acre, so you tell a d——d lie;
We have all ploughed an acre, I swear and I vow,
And we are all jolly fellows that follow the plough."


* This song, though sold freely during the Union agitation, seems to have an earlier origin.