| Song Title | Barley mow song |
| Roud No. | 944 |
| Collected From | Sawyer, David [Phoebus] |
| Location | Ogbourne St. Andrew |
| County | Wiltshire |
| Collected By | Williams, Alfred |
| Alternative Title | |
| Tune | |
| Date | |
| Source Primary | WSRO: 2598/36 Packet 4 - Wiltshire: Williams, A: MS collection No Wt 389 |
| Source Secondary | Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, 8th April, 1916, p 3, Part 26, No. 2: Williams, A: Folk songs of the upper Thames, 1923, p 289, 290 |
| Recording | |
| Song Lyrics | |
| Verse 1 Here's a health to the barley mow, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Here's a health to the barley mow, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! Verse 2 We'll drink it out of the nipperkin, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 3 We'll drink it out of the quarter pint, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The quarter pint, the nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 4 We'll drink it out of the half pint, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 5 We'll drink it out of the pint, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 6 We'll drink it out of the quart, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 7 We'll drink it out of the pottle, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The pottle, the quart, the pint, the half pint, The quarter pint, the nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 8 We'll drink it out of the gallon, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The gallon, the pottle, the quart, the pint, the half pint, The quarter pint, the nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 9 We'll drink it out of the half bushel, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The half bushel, the gallon, the pottle, The quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 10 We'll drink it out of the bushel, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The bushel, the half bushel, the gallon, the pottle, The quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 11 We'll drink it out of the half sack, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The half sack, the bushel, the half bushel, The gallon, the pottle, the quart, the pint, The half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 12 We'll drink it out of the sack, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The sack, the half sack, the bushel, The half bushel, the gallon, the pottle, The quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 13 We'll drink it out of the half hogshead, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The half hogshead, the sack, the half sack, The bushel, the half bushel, the gallon, the pottle, The quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 14 We'll drink it out of the hogshead, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The hogshead, the half hogshead, the sack, The half sack, the bushel, the half bushel, the gallon, The pottle, the quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 15 We'll drink it out of the river, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl; The river, the hogshead, the half hogshead, the sack, The half sack, the bushel, the half bushel, the gallon, The pottle, the quart, the pint, the half pint, the quarter pint, The nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Chorus Verse 16 We'll drink it out of the ocean, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow! The ocean, the river, the hogshead, the half hogshead, The sack, the half sack, the bushel, the half bushel, The peck, the gallon, the half gallon, the pottle, the quart, The pint, the half pint, the nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow, my brave boys! Here's a health to the barley mow. | |
| Print Song Lyrics | |
| Notes | |
| Note 1 Williams, Alfred: Ms / FSUT: 'The 'Barley mow song' was in general use at harvest homes as long as they were observed under the old order of things in the country. Its age is probably considerable. I am unable to fix, or even to suggest it, though doubtless the piece has existed for several centuries. I obtained the copy of David Sawyer and Elijah Iles, Inglesham, Wiltshire.' Williams, Alfred: WGS: 'The 'Barley mow song' was in general use at harvest homes as long as they were observed under the old order of things in the country. Its age is probably considerable. I am unable to fix, or even to suggest it, though doubtless the piece has existed for several centuries. I obtained the copy of David Sawyer, formerly of Ogbourne, Wiltshire, and Elijah Iles, Inglesham.' Note 2 In WGS /FSUT there is an additional verse after Verse 8: Verse 9 We'll drink it out of the peck, my brave boys, Here's a health to the barley mow! The peck, the gallon, the pottle, the quart, the pint, the half pint, The quarter pint, the nipperkin, and the jolly brown bowl, Here's a health to the barley mow! Note 3 There is a brief reference to this song in Williams, Alfred: Round about the upper Thames, Duckworth, 1922, p 306. Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2010. | |