Folksong, 2017/18, Term 1: An Acre of Land (Sing ovey and ivy)

https://youtu.be/NC1DLVhuDKU

https://youtu.be/J27CnN5oOM8

https://www.efdss.org/efdss-education/resource-bank/beginners-guide/fun-with-folk#acre-of-land

Acre Of Land

The word 'ivery' in this song is a dialect pronunciation of the word 'ivy'.

 

My father left me an acre of land

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I ploughed it with my ram’s horn,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I sowed it with my pepper box,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I harrowed it with my bramble bush,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I reaped it with my little penknife,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I sent it home in a walnut shell,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I threshed it with my needle and thread,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I winnowed it with my handkerchief,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I sent it to mill with a team of great rats,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

The carter brought a curly whip,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

The whip went pop and the waggon it stopped.

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

Here is another version with the same tune, slightly different lyrics (remember, folk songs are like that, and that's okay. You don't need One True Right Version- just pick.  Or mix.  It's okay, relax and have fun with them!)
:

https://youtu.be/F8PBQOVGDbE

My father he left me an acre of land,Sing ovey, sing ivy.My father he left me an acre of land,Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

I ploughed it one morning with a ram's horn,Sing ovey, sing ivy.I sowed it all over with two pepper corns,Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

I harrowed it next with a bramble bush...

And reaped it all with my little penknife...

The little mice carried it into the barn...

I threshed it there with a fine goose quill...


The cat she carried it into the mill...

The miller he said that he'd work with a will...

My father he left me an acre of land,Sing ovey, sing ivy.My father he left me an acre of land,Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.