Yorkshire Garland
 

The Nobleman and the Thresherman

 
Performed by:
Frank Hinchliffe
Recorded in:
Crosspool, Sheffield
Recorded on:
01/07/1976
Recorded by:
Mike Yates and Ruairidh Greig
Genre:
Occupational
Keywords:
Children,
Family,
Farm implements,
Home,
Poverty
 

Archival information

TYG:
37
Key:
F
Time Signature:
4/4
Roud id:
19
Laws id:
Master title:
The Nobleman and the Thresherman
Places Cited:

Lyrics

1
A nobleman met with a thresherman one day,
He kindly did accost him and unto him did say,
“Tha’s a wife and seven childeren, I know it to be true,
Yet how does thou maintain them all so well as thou do?
Yet how does thou maintain them all so well as thou do?”

2
“Sometimes I do reap and sometimes I do mow,
And other times a hedgin’ or a ditchin’ I do go;
There’s nothin’ comes amiss to me to the harrows nor the plough,
But still I get my livin’ by the sweat of my brow,
But still I get my livin’ by the sweat of my brow.”

3
“When my day’s work is over I go home at night,
My wife and my childeren they are of my delight;
My children are a prattlin’ and playin’ with their toys,
And that is all the pleasure that a poor man enjoys,
And that is all the pleasure that a poor man enjoys.”

4
“My wife she is willin’ to join in the yoke,
We live just like two turtle doves and seldom do provoke;
Sometimes we are hard up, sometimes we are very poor,
But still we keep those raging wolves away from our door,
But still we keep those raging wolves away from our door.”

5
“So well has thou spoken of thy wife,
I’ll make thee to live happy all the rest of thy life;
I’ve fifty acres of good land I’ll freely give to thee,
To maintain thy wife and thy loved family,
To maintain thy wife and thy loved family.”

Recording from the LP In Sheffield Park, Traditional Songs from South Yorkshire.

Archival information

TYG:
37
Key:
F
Time Signature:
4/4
Roud id:
19
Laws id:
Master title:
The Nobleman and the Thresherman
Places Cited: