Four Somerset Folk Songs

If all those young men were as rushes a-growing,
Then all those pretty maidens will get scythes go mowing;
  With rifoldedee, Cal all the day, Rifolidee.

If all those young men were as hares on the mountains,
Then all those pretty maidens will get guns go hunting;
  With rifoldedee, Cal all the day, Rifolidee.

If all those young men were as ducks in the water,
Then all those pretty maidens would soon follow after:
  With rifoldedee, Cal all the day, Rifolidee.

It's a rosebud in June, 
and the violets in full bloom
The small birds are singing 
love songs from each spray.
 
Refrain:
 We'll pipe and we'll sing, Love,
 We'll dance in a ring, Love.
 When each lad takes his lass,
 All on the green grass,
 And it's all to plow
 Where the fat oxen graze low;
 And the lads and the lasses do sheepshearing go.
 
When we have all shear'd, our jolly, jolly sheep
Nothing brings more joy, than to talk of their increase.
(Refrain)

As he was a-riding and a-riding one day,
he met with sweet Kitty all on the highway;
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day

She blinded his eyes and she troubled his dreams:
And nothing henceforward is just what it seems.
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day.

Come saddle my horse and away I will ride
to meet with sweet Kitty down by the sea side.
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day.

He rode round her six times, but never did know;
Though she smiled in his face and said:
Theregoes my Beau.
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day.

He gazed in her face and he asked her name,
but he never had ears for the sound of the same.
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day.

If you would know my name you must go and inquire.
I was born in old England, brought up in Yorkshire.
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day.

Now all you young fellows, just bear this in mind,
and don’t miss your sweethearts, for Love he is blind.
Sing fol the diddle dero, fol the diddle dero,
Sing lero, i day.

There was a little man, and he had a little wife,
And he loved her as much as he loved his life;
Refrain:
Mash a row dow dow dow diddle all the day,
Mash a row dow dow dow diddle all the day.

One hour in the night, his wife grew sick,
And all that she wanted was a little crab fish;
(Refrain)

So up he arose and put on his clothes,
And down to the seaside he followed his nose;
(Refrain)

“O fisherman. O fisherman, can you tell me
Have you a little crabfish you could sell to me?"
(Refrain)

“O yes, O yes. I have one two and three,
And the best of them I will sell to thee.”
(Refrain)

So he caught him and bought him and put him in a dish,
And he said “Oh wife, put your nose to this.”
(Refrain)

Then his wife just to smell him popped up from her clothes,
And the crabfish popped up and grabbed her by the nose;
(Refrain)

“Oh help, dear husband; come hither, do you hear?”
But the crabfish had already grabbed him by the ear;
(Refrain)

And so my friends, if for a crabfish you thirst;
Please try to remember to cook him first…
(Refrain)