I love the verdant fields

AKA Smiling Tom
First Published 1875
Writer/composer Harry Liston Roud RN2682

Music Hall Performers Harry Liston, JW Rowley
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Walmsley, Annie; England : Lancashire; 1969
Unknown; England ; Wiltshire? no date		 

From a Bodleian Ballad estimated 1840-1866 (see below for discussion of date)

I am what they call a yokel
You'll agree with me, I'm sure,
There's no place like the country,
Where the air is sweet and pure
I know my way about, lads, 
And Lancashire I'm from
I always am light-hearted 
And they call me Smiling Tom

[Spoken] Eh! Eh! Eh! I'm always smiling, sometimes, so would you smile if you lived out in the countryside as I do - 

I love the verdant fields where the air is pure and sweet
Such charming scenes I'll never wander from
With the little cocks and hens and the cattle in their pens
Oh that's the sort of life for Smiling Tom.

I like to guide the plough, lads,
And to dig and reap and sow
And better exercise than that
To me you cannot show;
For what's the use of idling lads 
Be busy while you can,
'Tis industry that leads to health
And makes a happy man

[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

[Chorus]

As there a time for all things,
Lads I take my pipe and glass
I also take of Cupids ways,
And love a pretty lass;
She's as lovely as the sunshine
Which always follows rain
But this lass alas! she scorned me 
And I'll never love again

[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 -

[Chorus]

A song from the Halls which was later collected from traditional singers in Wiltshire and Lancashire.

A hand-written note 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, 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). In this case he seems to be mistaken as the song appears to have been written 50 years previously by Harry Liston.

Harry Liston (1843- 1929) wrote and performed this song as part of his show Merry Moments. He sang it dressed as Smiling Tom a “Lancashire yokel”. The earliest printed reference to Smiling Tom 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).

 June 29, 1872;  Isle Of Man Times

Oct. 14, 1874;  Freeman’s Journal (Dublin, Ireland)

Mar. 21, 1875;  The Era

The sheet music was reviewed as “New Music” in 1875:

May 30, 1875; The Era

Sources: