Hares on the Mountain- Sharp (3 versions) 1903
Folk-Songs Noted in Somerset and North Devon
by Cecil J. Sharp, Frank Kidson, Lucy E. Broadwood, J. A. Fuller-Maitland
Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 2, No. 6 (1905), pp. 1-60
18.-HARES ON THE MOUNTAINS.
SUNG BY MRS. HOOPER AND MRS. WHITE,
AT HAMBRIDGE, SEPT., 1903.
Young wo-men they'll run like hares on the moun-tains,
Young wo-men they'll like hares on the mountains;
If I was but a young man I'd soon go a hunt- ing;
To my right fol did - dle de - ro, To my right fol did-dle dee.
Young women thev'll sing like birds in the bushes,
Young women they'll sing like birds in the bushes;
If I was a young man I'd go and bang the bushes;
To my right fol diddle dero, to my right fol diddle dee.
Young women they'll swim like ducks in the water;
Young women thev'll swim like ducks in the water;
If I was a young man I'd go and swim all after;
To my right fol diddle dero, to my right fol diddle dee.
SECOND VERSION.
SUNG BY A MRS. LOCK,
AT MUCHELNEY HIAM, AUG. 2ND, 1904.
If all those young men were as rush - es a - grow- ing,
Then all those pret-ty maidens will get scythes go mow - ing;
With ri - fol - de -dee, Cal all the day, Ri - fol - i - dee.
If all those young men were as hares on the mountains,
Then all those pretty maidens will get guns go hunting;
With ri fol, etc.
If all those young men were as ducks in the water,
Then all those pretty maidens would soon follow after;
With ri fol, etc.
THIRD VERSION.
SUNG BY MRS. SLADE,
AT MINEHEAD, AUG. 8TH, 1904.
Young wo- men they sing like birds in the bush- es,
But if I was a young man I'd go and shake the bush - es;
Sing fal de dal ri fal de dal, Sing fal the dal the did - dle dal de dee.
Similar words to these are to be found in Sam Lover's Rory 0 More, p. 101. Mr. Hermann Lohr has set these words to music (Chappell and Co.), and on the title page very naturally attributes them to Sam Lover.
There is, however, a tune in The Petrie Collection, vol. ii, No. 82I (Boosey and Co.), called " If all the young maidens be blackbirds and trushes," in the same metre as the words in Rory 0 More. It seems fair to conclude, therefore, that the song is of folk origin, known to Sam Lover, and placed by him in the mouth of one of the characters in his novel. The lyric will bear quotation
Oh if all the' young maidens was blackbirds and thrishes (thrice),
It's then the young men would be batin' the bushes.
Oh if all the young maidens was ducks in the wather (thrice),
It's then the young men wouldl jump in and swim after.
Ohl if all the young maidens was birds on a mountain (thrice),
It's then the young men would get guns and go grousin'.
If the maidens was all throut and salmon so lively (thrice),
Oh! the divil a man would ate mate on a Friday!
The last verse nay well be an addition of Lover's. The second phrase of tlle first tune savouirs of the German Volkslied, but Mrs. Lock's and Mrs. Slade's tunes are wholly English in character.- C. J. S.