Lyr/Chords: The Farmer's Boy

Subject: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 27 Nov 00 - 02:54 PM

To Be A Farmer's Boy is a quite well known ballad but does seem to be on the DT. Can anyone supply the verses please? Best wishes. Keith

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FARMER'S BOY
From: radriano
Date: 27 Nov 00 - 03:01 PM

Keith, here's the version I know:

The Farmer's Boy

The sun went down behind yon hill, across yon dreary moor
Weary and lame a poor boy came up to a farmer's door
Can you tell me if any there be that will give me employ?
For to plough and sow, to reap and to mow
And to be a farmer's boy
To be a farmer's boy

For my father's dead, and mother's left with her five children small
And what is worse for mother still, I'm the eldest of them all
Though little I be, I fear no work, if you will me employ
For to plough and sow, to reap and to mow
And to be a farmer's boy
To be a farmer's boy

And if that you won't me employ, one favour I have to ask
Will you shelter me till break of day from this cold winter's blast?
At break of day I'll trudge away elsewhere to seek employ
For to plough and sow, to reap and to mow
And to be a farmer's boy
To be a farmer's boy

The farmer said, "Pray, take the lad, no further let him seek"
"Oh, yes, dear father," the daughter cried, while the tears ran down her cheek
For those that will work it's hard to want and wander for employ
For to plough and sow, to reap and to mow
And to be a farmer's boy
To be a farmer's boy

In course of time he grew a man and the good old farmer died
He left the lad the farm he had and his daughter for his bride
So the boy that was now farmer is - he sits and thinks with joy
Of the lucky, lucky day he came that way
To be a farmer's boy
To be a farmers boy

Richard

Subject: RE: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: The Shambles
Date: 27 Nov 00 - 03:05 PM

There is This one in the DT. there is another there too.

Subject: RE: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 01:40 AM

There are many copies on the Bodley Ballads website (Mudcat's Links)

Subject: RE: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,Keith A
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 07:55 AM

Sorry to the shambles and especially to you Richard.Thanks for your trouble. Some of the searches I tried were "be a farmer" and "be a farmer*" and "plough and sow" I can see why the last one failed but not the others. Thanks and sorry again, Keith.

Subject: RE: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: Wolfgang
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 08:46 AM

Keith,
here's my guess why the search failed: Neither 'be a farmer' nor 'be a farmer*' fail for a search but in both cases the song you are looking for is not among the first fifty hits, for there are too many songs that have the words 'be' 'a' and 'farmer' in them at some place in the song.

Go for a phrase this way: '[be a farmer*]' and you'll get only very few hits including the correct song.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: radriano
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 10:55 AM

There's no need to apologize, Keith. We've all had problems searching at one time or another.


Richard

Subject: RE: Lyric Req. Farmer's Boy
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 07:53 AM

Hunting for the Regimental song of the Dorsetshire Regiment doesn't get you anything either, but that's what it is....

"Composed of members of the 39th and 52nd Regiment of Foot, the Dorsetshire Regiment have as their regimental march, the old ballad 'To be a farmer's boy'."

Have seen them march through Dorchester playing this.. more useless information - the Band of the Devon & Dorsets are the only other military band allowed to wear a white helmet (shaped like a British policeman's helmet) - the other being the Royal Household Cavalry band. Full of useless crap aren't I?! Just right for 'Who wants to be a millionaire' except I'd feel honour bound to strangle Chris Tarrant.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,Greum
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 01:54 PM

I realise this is an old thread, but does anyone have guitar chords for this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 02:24 PM

The tune I use is the military band tune

To Be A Farmers Boy

The [C] sun had set behind yon hill,
A-[F]-cross [C] the [F] drea-[A]-ry [G] moor,
[G] When weary and lame a poor boy came,
Up to a farmers door,
Can you tell me, where ere I be,
And of [C] one who'll me em-[G]-ploy?
To [C] plough and sow to [F] reap and [C] mow,
And be a [G] farmer's [C] boy,
And [F] be [G] a [C] far- [G] -mer's [C] boy,

---

---

Kenny, do we need to fix your membership? Let me know.
Joe Offer
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,Greum
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 03:05 PM

Thanks Kenny. Yes, that's the version (I guess I should have said!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,threelegsoman
Date: 18 Jul 20 - 02:37 AM

I worked out my own chord progression for this one about ten years ago and uploaded it to YouTube.
To Be A Farmer's Boy

Subject: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,G
Date: 25 Sep 20 - 07:02 AM

I thought I had found chords for The Farmer's Boy here, but I'm jiggered if I can find the thread. Anyways, this is what I have (I may have transposed it).

  G                                 C                D
  The sun had set behind yon hill, across yon dreary moor
  
  When weary and lame a boy there came up to a farmer’s door
                                       G              D
  Can you tell me if any there be that will give me employ
     G                  C        G       C    D        G
  To plough and sow and reap and mow and be a farmer’s boy
      C    D        G
  And be a farmer’s boy?
  

It mostly works fine, except an entire line and a half on one chord, doesn't. I have played around trying to find chords that fit without success. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thx

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 25 Sep 20 - 08:03 AM

Try searching for, ' To Be A Farmers Boy '.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: Nick
Date: 25 Sep 20 - 10:31 AM

You could put more chords in but basically ok as posted

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 25 Sep 20 - 01:29 PM

Try A⁷ with "to a farmer’s".

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Sep 20 - 07:53 PM

You need quite a few A chords in the second line: also taken a C chord out of your 4th line. (Having done all that, isn't this song usually sung unaccompanied?)

      G                            C                D
The sun had set behind yon hill, across yon dreary moor
       A                D             A D    A7       D
When weary and lame a boy there came up to a farmer’s door
      D                        D7          G         D    D7
Can you tell me if any there be that will give me employ
    G                  C       G            D       G
To plough and sow and reap and mow and be a farmer’s boy
      C    D       G
And be a farmer’s boy?

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: GUEST,G
Date: 26 Sep 20 - 05:30 AM

Thanks guys.

Dave H. I spent ages searching before posting here.

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 26 Sep 20 - 08:33 PM

Doh! The chords I put have moved and are now not neatly matching the right words, as they were before I posted! Have had that happen before with Mudcat, re- formatting everything!! Will re-do it tomorrow, but bracket the chord changes before the relevant word where the change occurs.

---

Is it right now, Trish? I changed it to a monospaced font. -Joe-

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: Noreen
Date: 26 Sep 20 - 08:58 PM

I can't imagine it being sung accompanied.

Subject: RE: Chords for The Farmer's Boy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 20 - 09:58 PM

Here's a performance by the Spinners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kACKhi7Da_Y

And Andy Stewart MBE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpIVSnPeEoY

And Tony Wales (with a very subtle accompaniment):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TykC_5tdbQ

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords: The Farmer's Boy
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 27 Sep 20 - 06:49 AM

Thanks Joe, saved me a job!
Almost correct now: but the second A in the 2nd line should be over the word "came": the rest is fine.