{"id":11466,"date":"2021-07-14T14:14:28","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T14:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=11466"},"modified":"2021-07-14T14:14:31","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T14:14:31","slug":"i-love-the-verdant-fields","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/i-love-the-verdant-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"I love the verdant fields"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Smiling Tom<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1875<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>Harry Liston<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN2682<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Liston, JW Rowley<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Walmsley, Annie; England : Lancashire; 1969
Unknown; England ; Wiltshire? no date
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
From a Bodleian Ballad<\/a> estimated 1840-1866 (see below for discussion of date)\n\nI am what they call a yokel\nYou'll agree with me, I'm sure,\nThere's no place like the country,\nWhere the air is sweet and pure\nI know my way about, lads, \nAnd Lancashire I'm from\nI always am light-hearted \nAnd they call me Smiling Tom\n\n[Spoken] Eh! Eh! Eh! I'm always smiling, sometimes, so would you smile if you lived out in the countryside as I do - \n\nI love the verdant fields where the air is pure and sweet\nSuch charming scenes I'll never wander from\nWith the little cocks and hens and the cattle in their pens\nOh that's the sort of life for Smiling Tom.<\/em>\n\nI like to guide the plough, lads,\nAnd to dig and reap and sow\nAnd better exercise than that\nTo me you cannot show;\nFor what's the use of idling lads \nBe busy while you can,\n'Tis industry that leads to health\nAnd makes a happy man\n\n[Spoken] As the old proverb says \"Up in the morning early and catch the early worm\" and when you've caught it put your foot upon it or else go fishing with it. You can always pick up the early worm if you wander where I do, for\n\n[Chorus]\n\nAs there a time for all things,\nLads I take my pipe and glass\nI also take of Cupids ways,\nAnd love a pretty lass;\nShe's as lovely as the sunshine\nWhich always follows rain\nBut this lass alas! she scorned me \nAnd I'll never love again\n\n[Spoken] Now when we were courting Margery, that's my sweetheart, said \"Eh Tom when were married we'll go and live in Lunnun shall we?\" Fancy me going to live in Lunnun among all that smoke. Nay, she may go and live there if she like but -\n\n[Chorus]\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
A song from the Halls which was later collected from traditional singers in Wiltshire and Lancashire. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A hand-written note<\/a>  in the papers of folk-song collector Alfred Williams gives the lyrics of this song under the title “Smiling Tom”, relocating from Lancashire to Wiltshire. Its not clear whether Williams got the song from a printed or oral source. He mentions the song in his introduction to Folk Songs of the Upper Thames<\/em>, listing it with a number of songs which he suggests are 300-400 years old (the Introduction is available on the Traditional Song Forum site<\/a>). In this case he seems to be mistaken as the song appears to have been written 50 years previously by Harry Liston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harry Liston<\/a> (1843- 1929) wrote and performed this song as part of his show Merry Moments. <\/em>He sang it dressed as Smiling Tom<\/em> a “Lancashire yokel”. The earliest printed reference to Smiling Tom<\/em> I can find  comes in 1872, the song is first mentioned in 1874, and the song was published  by Hopwood and Crew in 1875 (songs were often published only after they were successfully performed). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
 June 29, 1872;  <\/strong>Isle Of Man Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Oct. 14, 1874;  <\/strong>Freeman’s Journal (Dublin, Ireland)

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Mar. 21, 1875;  <\/strong>The Er<\/a>a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The sheet music was reviewed as “New Music” in 1875:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
May 30, 1875; The Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n