Lyrics from https://mainlynorfolk.info/copperfamily/songs/whenspringcomesin.html
WHEN SPRING COMES IN (from Copper Family)
When Spring comes in the birds do sing,
The lambs do skip and the bells do ring
While we enjoy their glorious charm so noble and so gay.
CHORUS (repeated after each verse):
The primrose blooms and the cowslip too,
The violets in their sweet retire, the roses shining through the briar,
And the daffadown-dillies which we admire will die and fade away.
Young men and maidens will be seen
On mountains high and meadows green,
They will talk of love and sport and play
While these young lambs do skip away.
At night they homeward wend their way
When evening stars appear.
The dairymaid to milking goes, her blooming cheeks as red as a rose,
She carries her pail all on her arm so cheerful and so gay,
She milks, she sings, and the valleys ring.
The small birds on the branches there sit listening to this lovely fair.
She is her master's trust and care, she is the ploughman's joy.SPRING GLEE (DT Lyrics)(differences in italics)
When Spring comes on, the birds do sing,
The lambs do skip and the bells do ring,
While we enjoy their glorious charm,
So noble and so gay.
The primrose blooms and the cowslip, too.
The violets in their sweet retire,
The roses shining through the briar,
And the daffa-down dillys which we admire
Will die and fade away.
Young men end maidens will be seen
On mountains high and meadows green;
They will talk of love and sport and play
While these young lambs do skip away.
At night, they'll homeward wand their way
When evening stars appear.
The dairymaid to milking goes,
Her blooming cheeks as red as a rose.
She carries her pail all on her arm,
So cheerful and so gay.
She milks, she sings,
And the valleys ring.
The small birds on the branches there
Sit listening to this lovely fair;
She is her master's trust and care,
She is the ploughman's joy.
@seasonal
recorded by the Copper Family
filename[ SPRGLEE
JY
The lyrics at Mainly Norfolk are exactly the same as those on pp. 238-239 of Bob Copper's A Song for Every Season (1975 Paladin Edition). The only problem with the Norfolk transcription is a misplaced comma in the "dairymaid" line.
second-last line - shouldn't that be "lovely fare"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kh_OtMbO-I
Ballad Index entry:When Spring Comes In
DESCRIPTION: "When spring comes in the birds will sing, The lambs will play and bells will ring." "Young men and maidens" court on mountains and in meadows; "the dairymaid ... can milk and she can sing ... her master's trust and care And all a ploughman's joy."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames)
KEYWORDS: courting farming nonballad bird sheep
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, p. 222, "When Spring Comes In" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Wt 475)
Copper-ASongForEverySeason, pp. 238-239, "When Spring Comes In" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #439
File: WT222Go to the Ballad Search form
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