Field of Barley- Fred Jordon (Shrop) 1952 Kennedy
[From: Veteran VTD 148CD ('A Shropshire Lad')
R. Matteson 2018]
The Field of Barley- sung by Fred Jordan of Shropshire; recorded by Peter Kennedy, 1952.
(Spoken) Mam was really fond of the singing. Her used to sing some of the old songs. If there was any of the old songs that we fancied we’d say, well “Sing us so-and-so”, her’d sing. This is one as I used to like her to sing, but I don’t know it all. I’ll sing what I do know of it.
As I was walking one May morn
One morning very early
I overtook a pretty fair maid
Walking through a field of barley.
“Where are you going to, my pretty maid
Where are you going, my honey.’”
She answered me quite readily,
“On an errand for my mummy.”
Her shoes were black, her stockings white
Her buckles shone like silver
A saucy gleam was in her eye
And her hair hung down her shoulder.
“When shall I see you, my pretty fair maid
When shall I see you, my honey”
“I durst not see you, Sir”, she said
“Because of my mummy.”
I pressed to see my pretty fair maid
I pressed to see my honey
“Come and see me, Sir”, she answered me
“When the moon above shines clearly.”
Her shoes were black, her stockings white
Her buckles shone like silver
A saucy gleam was in her eye
And her hair hung down her shoulder.