Birds upon the trees, The

AKA	The Trees
First published	1880

Writer/Composer

Harry Linn

Roud Index

RN1863

From Harry Linn's Fire-Side Song Book (1880)

I am a happy fellow, my name is Tommy Bell
I don't care for your billiards or games at bagatelle.
Rambling in the country, that's the thing for me,
Listening to the little birdies singing on the tree.

The birds upon the trees, the birds upon the tree.
Oh what a pretty sight it is, the little ones to see.
Talk about your music, the sweetest song to me,
Is the warbling of the little birdies singing on the tree.

What a pretty sight see the birdies in their nest, 
Early in the morning shake the dew from off their breast. 
Skimming through the wild woods, happy gay and free, 
Or loudly singing hymns of praise while sitting on the tree

I often lose my temper; it puts me in a rage,
To see a little dickie birds imprisoned in a cage.
Burst the bars asunder and let your prisoner free,
And hear the song of liberty when sitting on the tree.

There's little Maud the miller's maid who is to be me bride
We often take a ramble through the meadows side by side.
And when we settle down in life, our cottage it shall be,
Where we can hear the little birdies singing on the tree.

I originally credited this song to WC Robey with a US publication date of 1882, but the same song was published in London in approximately 1880, credited to Harry Linn, who was singing the song at least four years before then:

Linn sold the right to sing it in London to JW ‘Over’ Rowley (see brief biography below).

The song was also sung in 1877, by a teenage male impersonator Little Robina at a showcase for Scottish performers, “A Great Gala Gathering of Hibernian Entertainment” at Crowder’s Music hall in London (The Era, July 8 1877) .

John Weldon Rowley (1847-1925) was born in Bradford but spent much of his life in Huddersfield. He was famous for knowing the words to 103 different songs, and performed in Halls all over Yorkshire, later becoming very successful down in London. He initially worked as a miner and then trained as a “whitesmith” (a metalworker who does finishing work on iron and steel such as filing, lathing, burnishing or polishing). At the same time as learning his trade, he was performing as an amateur in various “free and easies”. Its not clear exactly when he made the transition to full-time performer, but by 1870 he was being feted as a star of the London Music Halls.

Like other successful performers of that time he made several attempts to move into management, taking over several venues in the late 1880s and 90s. These ventures were not successful and he had to sell them on at a loss.

According to Call Boy magazine:

He became called ‘OVER’ Rowley when he sang ‘Going to the Derby’ and would complete a one handspring supported by a walking stick. It became so popular that the audience would shout ‘OVER ROWLEY’ to get him to perform the feat.

Call Boy Magazine, Summer 1987

He clearly moved a number of people with the words and music, which seem to have been picked up by a number of traditional singers. The Birds upon the Trees was collected by around 20 years later, by the eminent folk song collector Percy Grainger, from the singing of Joseph Taylor. That seems a relatively fast turnaround time from date of publication to entering the tradition, but I guess remembering a song you heard 20 years ago is not so unusual…

A number of JW Rowley’s songs are still sung in traditional circles, including: Out in the Green Fields, Eggs for your breakfast in the morning, Down in a Coal Mine, Ten Thousand Miles Away and As Welcome as the Flowers in May

When Joseph Taylor sang The Birds upon the Trees for Percy Grainger, he sang it much as it is written and sung in the halls. As far as I can tell most subsequent traditional singers sing a version which has lost the second verse.

As sung by Kennedy’s Kitchen:

Sources:

• Lyrics and info: Mainly Norfolk
• Library of Congress: Sheet Music
• Killgarriff: Sing us
• Early Doors
• Worldcat entry
• Call Boy magazine in biographical notes quoted here

Jon Boden makes it his own:

Last Updated on January 17, 2024 by John Baxter | Published: January 17, 2020