God Speed the Plough
Traditional,
Adapted by Bennett Konesni
Verses 2, 3 and 4 by Bennett
2008
Key of G
V1
Let the wealthy and great, roll in splendour and state,
I envy them not I declare it
I eat my own lamb My own chickens and ham
I shear my own fleece and I wear it
I have lawns I have bowers I have fruits I have flowers
The lark is my early alarmer
So Jolly boys now Here's God speed the plough
Long life and success to the farmer
V2
Well I wake every morn to the dew on the corn
when light hasn't quite touched the sky-o
To the lowing of cows And the grunting of sows
And the mare with a glint in her eye-o
There are deals to be made, there are debts to be paid
To feed madame credit, the charmer
So Jolly boys now Here's God speed the plough
Long life and success to the farmer
V3
Well I think every day of my girl far away
Of the riches she'll find on her travels
Of the sharp foreign smells and the barbaric yells
and the fine silty loams and the gravels
But they can't be as fine as just spending some time
In the field in the dusk in the summer
So Jolly boys now Here's God speed the plough
Long life and success to the farmer
V4
Well of all that I love under heaven above
These things are the best of them all-o
It's the smell of the land and the touch of your hand
How it grips soft and warm close to mine-o
And your voice like a bell well it casts quite a spell
An arrow to pierce through the armor
So Jolly boys now Here's God speed the plough
Long life and success to the farmer
So Jolly boys now Here's God speed the plough
Long life and success to the farmer
Key of G
3/4 time (waltz time)
I - - | V - - | IV - - | I - - |
IV- - | I - - | V - - | - - - |
I - - | V - - | IV - - | I - - |
IV- - | V - - | I - - | - - - |
V - - |IV - - | I - - | - - - |
IV- - | I - - | V - - | - - - |
IV- - | I - - | V - - | vi - - |
IV- - | V - - | I - - | - - - |
I = G
IV = C
V = D
Vi = e minor
Notes
My grandmother's boyfriend showed me this mug he found with verse 1 on it.
Not knowing it was a whole much beloved song (often sung by Morris Dancers in the Northeast USA) I wrote 3 more verses and crafted a melody.