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The Farmer's Toast / God Speed the Plough

[ Roud 1603 ; Ballad Index OLoc030 ; trad.]

This song, probably from early in the 19th century, is known under various titles: The Farmer's Toast, Success to the Farmer, Jolly Farmer, and God Speed the Plough. The well-known tune Speed the Plough (played by e.g. The Morris Motor Band in a historic recording on Tap Roots: A History of the New Wave of English Country Dance Music, the Albion Band on Lark Rise to Candleford, and Spiers & Boden on Vagabond) is not related to this.

Jon Boden sang The Farmer's Toast as the June 25, 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

John Kirkpatrick sang God Speed the Plough as the title track of his 2011 CD God Speed the Plough.

Lyrics

Jon Boden sings Farmer's Toast

Come each jolly fellow who seeks to be mellow
Attend unto me and sit easy
For a pint when it's quiet, my lads, let us try it
For thinking will drive a man crazy

Chorus:

I have lawns, I have bowers, I have fruit, I have flowers
And the lark is my morning alarmer
So my jolly boys now here's good luck to the plough
Long life and success to the farmer

Draw near to my table, my lads, if you're able
Let me hear not one word of complaining
For the tinkling of glasses all music surpasses
And I love to see bottles a-draining

For here I am king, I will dance, drink and sing
Let no man appear as a stranger
And show me the ass who refuses a glass
And I'll treat him to hay in a manger

(Chorus)

Let the wealthy and great roll in splendour and state,
I envy them not, I declare it
For I eat my own ham, my own chicken and lamb
I shear my own fleece and I wear it

By ploughing and sowing, by reaping and mowing
King nature affords me aplenty
I've a cellar well stored and a plentiful board
And a garden affords every dainty

(Chorus)

Links and Acknowledgements

See also the Mudcat Café thread Lyr Req: Farmer's Toast / Godspeed the Plough.

Thanks to Garry Gillard for Jon's lyrics.