Origins: The Moo Cow Song

Subject: ADD: The Moo Cow Song
From: Chris Amos
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 01:35 PM

At our village street party I was speaking to one of our neighbours who is now in her 70s. She knows I am interested in folk music and started telling me about a song she learnt from her grandmother, her cousin was there and they sung it to me, a very nice job they made of it too.
She said that she had never come across the song other than in her own family. I must admit it is not familiar to me either.
It looks a bit like a Victorian parlour song, has anyone else come across anything like it.

THE MOO COW SONG

Walking through the fields , it happened by the way
Mother Cow I had to pass lying down upon the grass
Do you eat or drink or do the cud you chew
Tell me do what good are you, moo cow moo

Moo moo moo she answered and she meant to say
Night and morning without fail Mary comes with stool and pail
To the dairy then she takes my milk away,
Butter, cream and cheese to please you get next day

When I'm dead the butcher sells my meat to you
Master tanner takes my hide and of what is left beside
People take my horns, my hooves they take for glue
And that's the end my little friend of moo cow moo.

Thanks

Chris

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Mick Tems
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 02:20 PM

Interesting song. My lioving partner, O--- the f----er, has this delightful piece, which goes:

Moo cow, moo cow,
Standing in the field all day;
I envy you with nothing to do,
Nothing to do but stand and moo.
Moo cow, moo cow,
No wonder you're so brown;
Standing in the sunshine all day long
And if you're not standing up, you're lying down.

Should we publish a paper on this?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Mo the caller
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 11:25 AM

My mother used to sing a shorter version of the second song. Just lines 1,2,4& 8.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 09:40 PM

First thing I thought when I saw this:

"I have a new cow, a moo cow, a true cow, named Caroline"


Dani

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Mick Tems
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 06:33 AM

Just a thought: The well-known and well-loved Welsh triple-harper Robin Huw Bowen was researching some old traditional tunes when he came across one called Dacw Fuwch, the translation of which means: Look! A Cow!

I'll ask my love for the tune to her song. Just watch this space...

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Mo the caller
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 07:56 AM

Upon a hill there stood a cow
It must've moved, it's not there now.

None of which gets us any nearer the origins of the first song in the thread.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Chris Amos
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 05:30 PM

Thanks guys, I wasn't very hopeful.
It has a good tune so I am working on a guitar accompaniment for it.

Chris

Subject: ADD Version: The Moo Cow Song
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 13 - 02:57 PM

My grandmother sang the moo cow moo song to me when I was a child. Slightly different version.

THE MOO COW SONG

Walking through the field it happened on the way,
a mother cow I had to pass, laying down upon the grass,
Do you eat and sleep and chew your cud all day,
tell me true what good ate you? Do cow pray.

Moo moo moo she answered but she ment to say,
night and morning without fail,
Mary brings her stool and pail,
To the dairy then she takes my milk away,
butter cheese and cream to please you, get next day.

When I'm dead the butcher sells my meat to you.
Mr Tanner buys my hide and of what is left beside,
people take my horns for coombs my hooves for glue.
That's the end my little friend of moo cow moo

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Airymouse
Date: 01 Nov 13 - 06:54 PM

My father sang,
Moo cow don't bother me
Moo cow don't bother me
Moo cow don't bother me
'cause I belong to company G

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Nov 13 - 08:34 AM

I thought that one went 'shoo fly don't bother me'
Didn't your father like cows?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Nov 13 - 01:28 AM

Usually, I'm a great fan of All Things Holstein, but I can't quite get used to either of these:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFfIIdK2cgM (Moo Cow Song)
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrPHxRqBdko (The Cow Song - for religious cows, no doubt)
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1U7LjRrpcE (Moo Moo Cow Song)
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NQGk6hgaII (Moo Cow Song - VERY strange...)
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljm6RU6lRuM (I'm a Cow)
  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YH7LiU5mlw (Mad Cow Song)
  

Hey, this one is almost folk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZOqorfPY40

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: Peter the Squeezer
Date: 28 May 16 - 07:03 AM

How about this one from Sid Kipper?

Moo Cows Poo

Subject: RE: Origins: The Moo Cow Song
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 May 16 - 12:11 PM

This reminds me of Phoebe singing on an episode of "Friends":

"....and that's how we get hamburgers."