The Molecatcher

Sung by A.L. Lloyd on "The Best of A.L. Lloyd", 1966, "from an unpublished set provided by Dr Vaughan Williams"

Near Manchester city at the sign of ‘The Plough’
There lived a molecatcher, I can tell you how.

Chorus (after each verse):
Singing lor te lie day, well well,
Lor te lie little lie,
Lor te lie day

He goes a-molecatching from morning till night
And a young fellow came for to play with his wife.

Now the molecatcher jealous of this very same thing,
He hid in the wash house to watch him come in.

Now when this young fellow come over the stile
That caused the molecatcher so foxy to smile.

He knocked at the door and this he did say,
“Oh where is your husband, good woman, I pray?”

“He's gone a-moletrapping, you need have no fear,”
But little she thought the molecatcher was near.

She went off upstairs and he followed her sign
And the ole molecatcher crept close up behind.

Now when that young fellow's in the midst of his frolics
The molecatcher trapped him quite fast by the jackets.

The trap it bit tight and he laughed at the sight,
Saying, “Here's the best mole that I've caught in me life.”

“I'll make you pay well for ploughing my land
And the money it will cost you no less than ten pound.”

“Very well,” says the young fellow, “The money I don't mind,
That only works out about tuppence a time.”

So come all young fellows and mind what you're at,
Don't you ever get caught in the molecatcher's trap.