An Acre of Land- Hodson (York) 1972 Gardham B
[Online at Yorkshire Garland Group http://yorkshirefolksong.net/song.cfm?songID=23, originally published in Gardham, An East Riding Songster, Lincolnshire and Humberside Arts, 1982, pp11-12 with music score, and version 3 at p44 without music score. Gardham's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2018]
Stanza 3 was learnt from Ethel Grinsdale who curiously did not include it in her version. On first singing, like Mrs Grinsdale, Mr Hodson sang stanzas 9 and 10 before 7 and 8. Mr Hodson did not sing stanza 12, but added when he had finished the song, ‘We sometimes added that on the end.’ It is of course a commonplace ending in such catalogue songs.
An Acre of Land- sung by John Hodson of Aldborough on 29/04/1972. Recorded by: Steve Gardham.
1. Me father bought me an acre o’ land,
Sing ee, sing ay, sing ivy,
Me father bought me an acre o’ land,
And a bunch of holly green ivy.
2. I ploughed it up with a team o’ rats,
3. I rolled it down with a rolling pin,
4. I harrowed it with me finger nails,
5. I sew it down with caraway seeds,
6. I rept it with me pocket-knife,
7. I led it home on a mouse’s back,
8. The mouse came back with a broken back
9. I threshed it with a wing of a louse,
10. I stocked it on the dairy shelf,
11. And now we’re living on the fat o’ the land,
12. If you want any more you can sing it yourself,