One Man Shall Mow My Meadow

A Counting Song

See: The Twelve Days of Christmas (Cecil J. Sharp, 1916, with notes)
See: Notes on the Twelve Days of Christmas

Source: Cecil J. Sharp, One Hundred English Folksongs (Boston: Oliver Ditson Company, 1916), #100 , p. 235.

1.
One man shall mow my meadow
Two men shall gather it together,
Two men, one man¹ and one more
Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams,
And gather my gold together.

2.
Three men shall mow my meadow,
Four men shall gather it together,
Four men, three men, two men, one man, and one more,
Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams,
And gather my gold together.

3.
Five men shall mow my meadow,
Six men shall gather it together,
Six men, five men, four men, three men, two men, one man, and one more,
Shall shear my lambs and ewes and rams,
And gather my gold together.

(And so on ad lib.)

Footnote:

1. This measure [Two men, one man] must be played twice in the 2nd verse, three times in the 3d verse, and so on.  Return

Editor's Note:

I believe that the footnote means that the notes in that measure are sung for all the phrases in that line for this verse. In the first verse, the measure is only sung for [two men, one man,].

In verse 2, that measure will be sung for [Four men, three men] and then again [two men, one man,].

For the 3rd verse, the measure is used for [Six men, five men] and [Four men, three men] and then again [two men, one man,].

Sheet Music: Cecil J. Sharp, One Hundred English Folksongs (Boston: Oliver Ditson Company, 1916), #100 , p. 235.

Note:

This is one of five "accumulative" songs printed by Mr. Sharp in this volume. The five are:

• 96. The Twelve Days of Christmas, p. 224
• 97. The Ten Commandments, p. 226
• 98. The Tree In The Wood, p. 230 [this page]
• 99. The Barley-Mow, p. 232
• 100. One Man Shall Mow My Meadow, p. 235

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