Merry Haymakers, The

DESCRIPTION: In (May), the creatures cavort in the fine weather. Assorted men and women join together to cut the hay and frolic. Several are introduced as they arrive. In addition to cutting the fields, they may find other ways of making hay....
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1846 (Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland); c.1720 (broadside, Bodleian Douce Ballads 2(154))
KEYWORDS: farming work love courting
FOUND IN: Ireland Britain(England(Lond,South,West))
REFERENCES (11 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "MERRY HAYMAKERS, THE"
Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland, Song #15, pp. 192-193, "The Haymakers' Song" (1 text)
Copper-ASongForEverySeason, pp. 228-229, "Pleasant Month of May" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H697, pp. 278-279, "Tumbling through the Hay" (1 text, 1 tune)
Graham-Joe-Holmes-SongsMusicTraditionsOfAnUlsterman 78, "Tumbling Through the Hay" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, pp. 187-188, "The Haymakers" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 46)
Purslow-TheConstantLovers, p. 58, "The Merry Haymakers" (1 text, 1 tune)
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 255, "The Merry Haymakers" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-EnglishCountrySongbook, #9, "Pleasant Month of May" (1 text, 1 tune)
Baring-Gould/Sheppard-SongsOfTheWest2ndEd, #109, "The Merry Haymaker" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, MONTH MAY
Roud #153
RECORDINGS:
Bob & Ron Copper, "The Merry Haymakers" (on FSB3)
Sam Larner, "The Pleasant Month of May" (on Voice05)
Levi Smith, "The Haymakers" (on Voice11)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Douce Ballads 2(154), "The Merry Hay-makers" or "Pleasant Pastime, Between the Young- Men and Maids, in the Pleasant Meadows" ("In our country, in our country"), S. Bates (London), [c.1720]; also Mus. 1 c.118(6e)[title and many words illegible], "The Merry Hay-makers"
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Month of May
File: HHH697

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