Lyr Req: Follow the Plough

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Follow the Plough
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 12:45 AM

This is quoted in Roomer: The Newsletter of the Traditional Drama Research Group, Vol. 4, No. 6, 1984, page 53-54. (Click for a PDF.)

Through the hills and the valleys where I used to roam
Come follow, we follow, we follow the plough. 
With four fine horses hooked to the plough
We hollo, we follow the plough. 

There's Bonny, Duke and Smiler and All Sorts at the rear,
Four fine horses, hooked to the plough,
Up and down, round and round, many miles a day
We hollo, come follow, we follow the plough.

With the rumbling of the shil-board, and the half-grass wheels
We hollo, we follow the plough,
There's Bonny, Duke and Smiler and All Sorts at the rear,
Four fine horses hooked to the plough.
We hollo, we follow, we follow the plough.

There's a Foremos', the Lashhoss, the Bodyhoss, the Filler.
Four fine horses hooked to the plough
Up and down, round and round, many miles a day
And we hollo, come follow, we follow the plough.

One more bout said the carter's voice
One more bout and we're homeward bound,
As we follow, we follow, we follow the plough.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song?-follow the plough
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 25 Oct 10 - 04:02 AM

I have long been aware of All Jolly Fellows Who Follow The Plough ~~ it was often heard in fc's I went to in 60s-70s, always to Villikins tune.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song?-follow the plough
From: ollaimh
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 06:57 PM

i wonder how many out there have plowed a furrow. i haven't for forty years but its no f&^%ing fun. so i like the pei song "when johnny went plowing for kearon one day"

teresa doyle's version is a classic

i used to get farmed out to my uncle moody's farm to make a man out of me. mostly it made a committed city boy out of me. haying in the old style is fun like bubonic plague as well.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song?-follow the plough
From: Tradsinger
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 05:15 PM

I know the "All Jolly Fellows" song very well, but this is an appreciably different set of words, which is why I posted it. I suppose the Villikins tune would fit this song, but my friend couldn't get a tune for it, just the words.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song?-follow the plough
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 04:37 PM

Many variants? I posted one in a thread I opened today.

Subject: Lyr Add: JOLLY FELLOWS THAT FOLLOW THE PLOUGH
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 04:10 PM

All Jolly Fellows that follow the Plough

That was early one morn at the break of the day
The cockerels were crowing the farmer did say
Come rise my good fellows come rise with good will
Be your horses want something their bellies to fill.

For when four o'clock comes then up we arise
And down to the stables so merrily flies
With rubbing and scrubbing our horses I vow
We're all jolly fellows that follows the plough.

When six o'clock comes at breakfast we meet
With bread, beef and pork boys, we heartily will eat
With a piece in our pocket, I'll swear and I vow
We're all jolly fellows that follows the plough.

And we harness our horses and away we do go
Tripping over the plain boys as nimbly as dough
And when we get there so jolly and bold
To see which of us a straight furrow can hold.

Our master came to us and this he did say
What have you been doing, this long summer's day?
You've not ploughed an acre I'll swear and I vow
You're all idle fellows that follow the plough.

Well I stepped up to him and made this reply
We've all ploughed an acre so you've told a dammed lie
We've all ploughed an acre, and I'll swear and I vow
We're all jolly fellows that follow the plough.

He turned himself round and he laughed at his joke
It's gone two o'clock boys, its time to unyoke
Unharness your horses and rub them down well
For you're all jolly fellows that follows the plough.

So all you young fellows where ever you be
Take my advice and be ruled by me
Never fear your own master and then he will vow
That you're all jolly fellows that follows the plough.

Song quoted by Q, in full

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song?-follow the plough
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 03:06 PM

No, but reminiscent of the "Ploughman's Song," which may have variants I don't know about.
Sample verse:
When six o'clock comes round at breakfast we meet,
We sit round the table and heartedly eat.
A bit in our pocket and away we go,
For we're all jolly fellows that follow the plough.

Subject: Anyone know this song?-follow the plough
From: Tradsinger
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 02:43 PM

Here's a strange one - a friend of mine collected a set of words allegedly done with a Gloucestershire Mummers Play. Now the play is a bit strange and I can't find any other versions of this song, so I suspect it is not traditional but composed.

Here are a couple of verses:

Through the hills and the valleys where I used to roam
Come follow, we follow, we follow the plough
With four fine horses hooked to the plough
We hollo, we follow the plough.

There's Bonny, Duke and Smiler and All Sorts at the rear
Four fine horses hooked to the plough
Up and down, round and round, many miles a day
We hollo, we follow the plough.

Does this ring any bells with anyone? Is it a poem from somewhere?

Tradsinger