| Author | Topic: One man went to mow | |
| dmcg | Posted - 14 Sep 04 - 08:56 am | |
One man went to mow, Went to mow a meadow. One man and his dog, Went to mow a meadow. Two men went to mow, Went to mow a meadow, Two men, one and his dog, Went to mow a meadow. ... and so on until ten men men or more Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1960, BBC Publications Notes: From 'The Penguin Song Book'. I remember singing this when I was perhaps six or seven, or maybe even younger. However, we sang it with a 'double accumulation': not only did the number of men increase, but also what went with them. For example, the standard ending at one point was one man and his dog, And a bottle of pop, And a sausage roll, and a lump of coal, and a baby foal. When more than five things had been added, I don't recall we had a 'standard list': things just got added as people thought of them. I also recall that we sometimes began to sing 'eleven men went to mow...' and then stopped with general laughter and everyone knew we had deliberately passed the end of the song. | ||
| Leadfingers | Posted - 24 Sep 04 - 11:24 am | |
I learned this with a few 'extra' extras :- One man and his dog , Spot A sausage roll and a bottle of Pop Old mother Riley and her cow A lump of coal and a baby foal etc etc etc | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 24 Sep 04 - 11:48 am | |
I hadn't heard that version but there are a good few examples of it on the 'net, often with a scouting link. Is there any connection with Old Mother Riley, I wonder? Peter and Iona Opie discuss at some length how various famous characters are adopted into existing children's rhymes - eg Marilyn Munroe, Mickey Mouse. | ||
| diane easby | Posted - 25 Sep 04 - 01:19 pm | |
At my school, One Man Went To Mow was reserved for bus journeys to and from sports events or musical tournaments. Marilyn Monroe featured in a horrendously slanderous rhyme to the tune of Three Coins in a Fountain: Three coins in a phonebox Dial 999 Marilyn Monroe has had triplets Good work Dickie Valentine. | ||
| Snuffy | Posted - 13 Oct 04 - 02:42 pm | |
Marilyn Monroe also featured in a call-and-response chant we did as kids. The leader would call out "Went up one step" The rest replied "Rubber Balls" Went up two steps Rubber Balls etc. etc. | ||