The Old Man - Kate Rusby

There was an old man who lived in a wood

As you can plainly see

He said he could do as much work in a day

As his wife could do in three

With all my heart the woman she said

If that’s what you will allow

Tomorrow you’ll stay at home in my stead

And I go drive the plough

But you must milk our Tidy the cow

For fear she will go dry

You must feed the littlest pigs

That are within the sty

And you must mind the speckled hen

For fear she’ll lay away

And then you must reel the spool of yarn

That I spun yesterday

The woman she took up her staff in her hand

And she went to drive the plough

The old man took up a pale in his hand

And he went to milk the cow

But Tidy hinched and Tidy flinched

And Tidy broke his nose

And Tidy she gave to him such a big blow

The poor man took to his toes

Hi Tidy home Tidy

Tidy thou stand still

If ever I’m ill be tidy again,

Be sore against my will

He went to feed the little pigs

That were within the sty

He hit his big head upon a thick beam

And he made his red blood fly

He went to find the speckledy hen

For fear she’d lay astray

Forgot to reel the spool of yarn

His wife spun yesterday

He swore by the sun, the moon, the stars,

The green leaves on the tree

If his wife didn’t do a days work in her life

She won’t be ruled by he There was an old man who lived in a wood

As you can plainly see

He said he could do as much work in a day

As his wife could do in three

With all my heart the woman she said

If that’s what you will allow

Tomorrow you’ll stay at home in my stead

And I go drive the plough