Ducks, geese & swans

Subject: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST,IanA
Date: 24 Apr 17 - 12:58 PM

I was at the Morpeth Gathering at the weekend and, at a sing around, someone sang a song, said to be by Mike Waterson, I've tried various searches but can't find it. It concerns wonderful flocks of ducks and geese owned by a Mr Swan and a Mr Duck. Much confusion arises when the newly-appointed headmaster enquires: "Whose ducks are these?" and the boy answers: "These ducks are Swan's".

Cheers,

Ian

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 24 Apr 17 - 01:23 PM

If Mike wrote it it must have been after he left Hull.

Does it contain the following verse?

Whose ducks are these?
Whose ducks are these?
They are Tom Potts, I can tell em by the spots
And I found em in the vicarage garden.

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 17 - 01:58 PM

No. But thank you for your reply.

Ian

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 24 Apr 17 - 02:41 PM

The Waterson Family have a website. You might be able to contact them through it.

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST,pauperback
Date: 24 Apr 17 - 04:56 PM

Western Oregon saying - "Looks like a swan, must be a Duck" - heard in Cresswell Oregon - a small town near The University of Oregon, (home of the Ducks).

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 24 Apr 17 - 05:16 PM

Or the morpeth gathering FB page


https://m.facebook.com/morpeth.gathering/

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 01:23 PM

Thank you all. Not there yet. Someone will have it.

IanA

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: JHW
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 02:52 PM

Anne Lamb sang this last week at the Britannia - I've sent her a link to this thread

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST,Anne Lamb
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 05:20 AM

I got it on u tube. I've been after this song for years and recently found it. Type in Mike Waterson and there are loads of his songs there. Good luck

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST,IanA
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 01:41 PM

You are a tease. I did as you suggested and trawled through 12 pages of links with out success. Can you not be more specific?

IanA

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 05:30 PM

Maybe I got lucky.
Two Farmers

https://youtu.be/689_6MoWeIU

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST,IanA
Date: 28 Apr 17 - 05:14 AM

Thank you for that! It would have helped if I had realised the song was called 'Two Farmers'.

IanA

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 28 Apr 17 - 06:21 AM

I'm sure this didn't come up on any searches I did for ducks geese or swans but the lyrics here .... on mudcat
thread.cfm?threadid=143235#3304657

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST,IanA
Date: 28 Apr 17 - 01:43 PM

Yes, I found that - AFTER I had transcribed the words from the YouTube clip. Character-building...

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: Mo the caller
Date: 30 Apr 17 - 05:35 PM

I thought it was pigs in the vicarage garden.
Must have a very poor fence.

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 06:02 AM

Faa's yowes are they?
Faa's yowes are they?
They're aa' Jocky Corn's, ye can tell them by their horns,
An aa' fun' 'em in the meenister's gairden.

(Sheep up in Angus :-)

Subject: RE: Ducks, geese & swans
From: Monologue John
Date: 04 May 25 - 04:10 PM

Two Farmers by Mike Waterson

Two Farmers
   as sung by Mike Waterson

1. Two farmers lived by the mill, if they're not dead, they live there still.
Each had a special skill breeding fat birds.

2. Now the first farmer's name was Swan, breeding ducks brought him fame,
breeding ducks brought in gain, Swan he bred ducks.

3. And the next farmer's name was Duck, breeding geese brought him luck
and great cartloads of goose muck, Duck he bred geese.

4. Now the young lad sat by the pond, willow wand in his hand,
he being the keeper of both geese and ducks.

5. And the schoolmaster he rode by, new to the district he,
casting envious eyes upon both geese and ducks.

6. "Whose ducks are these?" he said, pointing down with his hand.
The lad smiled and turned and said, "Them ducks is Swan's."

7. Now schoolmaster shook his head, turning a little red,
turned round once more and said, "Whose geese is these?"

8. The lad smiled, he turned his head: "You'll not find better bred:
them geese is all corn-fed and them geese is Duck's."

9. "Young lad you are a fool sitting here by the pool;
better to be at school learning about ducks."

10. The lad turned, he smiled and said, "Them that can, do," he said,
"Them that can't, teach instead. I know my ducks!

11. "And them ducks is Swan's," he said, "you'll not find better bred.
As for the geese," he said, "them geese is Duck's."