Green Grow the Leaves

DESCRIPTION: "O green grow the leaves on the (hawthorn) tree, Some grow high and some grow low; With this wrangling and this jangling We never shall agree, And the tenor of our song goes merrily."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1912 (Leather-FolkLoreOfHerefordshire)
KEYWORDS: nonballad playparty
FOUND IN: Britain(England(West))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Leather-FolkLoreOfHerefordshire, p. 206, "Marden Forfeit Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST Leath206 (Full)
Roud #2121
NOTES [43 words]: This seems to be known mostly as a singing game, but Leather-FolkLoreOfHerefordshire reports that her version, which has a counting-down chorus, was sung as a forfeit -- that is, if you missed one of the numbers, you had to drink a penalty. Hence her title. - RBW
File: Leath206

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