Dear Joseph, dear Joseph, why serious today?
O what have you been thinking, come tell to me I pray.
Have love just begun to play the bo-peep
Or have you been watching your innocent sheep?
The young and the old are all driven to the fold
They value not the summer heat nor yet the winter cold.
Now don't let love tease you or thoughts make you sad,
But drive away all sorrow and be cheerful and glad
And be cheerful and glad.

In old ancient days there was no cursed money,
The children of Israel eat milk and good honey,
No queen could be seen from the highest degree
They milk their brown cows and their sheep they often see.
Them lambs give them clothing the cows they give them milk
And that's how the farmer played all those good deeds.
Them lambs give them clothing the cows they give them milk
And that's how the farmer played all those good deeds
Played well all those good deeds.

But as for old Adam how he work with the spade
And how he planted vineyards and neatly he made.
But as for the farmer with his love exposed
With beef and good bacon they could keep a good house
With a firkin in each corner from his own barley mow
He'd welcome in a friend and may God speed the plough
With a firkin in each corner from his own barley mow
He'd welcome in a friend and may God speed the plough
And may God speed the plough.

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Still Growing-English Traditional Songs from the Cecil Sharp collection. ISBN 0-85418-187-3

Notes:
Cecil Sharp collected this song from a William Cornelius of South Petherton, Somerset. Sharp visited William once on 10 April 1907.

Manuscript references
FT 1345-1347
FW 1244-1246

Roud: 12762 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: