> MichaelAnnJillo > Songs > I Will Go With My Father

I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing

[ Roud - ; words Joseph Campbell (1879-1944)]

MichaelAnnJillo sang Joseph Campbell’s poem I Will Go With My Father, with a fourth verse by Jeff Wesley, in a probably 1990s home recording in Mike and Ann Waterson’s kitchen. It was included in 2023 on their CD I’ll Give You One More As You Go.

James Patterson sang I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing in 2021 on Patterson Dipper’s album Unearthing. They noted:

Ivor Gurney’s setting of Joseph Campbell’s poem I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing we encountered on a recording by Dame Janet Baker. The words are captivating and the possibility of creating a new version based in Gurney’s tune was immediately apparent to us.

Lyrics

Joseph Campbell’s poem I Will Go With My Father

I will go with my father a-ploughing
To the green field by the sea,
And the rooks and the crows and the sea-gulls
Will come flocking after me.
I will sing to the patient horses
With the lark in the white of the air,
And my father will sing the plough-song
That blesses the cleaving share.

I will go with my father a-sowing
To the red field by the sea,
And the rooks and the gulls and the starlings
Will come flocking after me.
I will sing to the striding sowers,
With the finch on the greening sloe,
And my father will sing the seed-song
That only the wise men know.

I will go with my father a-reaping
To the brown field by the sea,
And the geese and the crows and the children
Will come flocking after me.
I will sing to the tan-faced reapers
With the wren in the heat of the sun,
And my father will sing the scythe-song
That joys for the harvest done.

MichaelAnnJillo sing I Will Go With My Father

I will go with my father a-ploughing
To the green field by the sea,
And the crows and the rooks and the seagulls
Will come flocking after me.
I will see the patient horses
And the lark up in the clear air,
And my father will sing the plough-song
That rejoices in the cleaving share.

I will go with my father a-sowing
To the brown field by the sea,
And the crows and the rooks and the starlings
Will come flocking after me.
I will see the striding sowers
And the finch on wings so low
And my father will sing the seed-song
That only the wise men know.

I will go with my father a-reaping
To the red field by the sea,
And the crows and the rooks and the children
Will come flocking after me.
I will see the tan-faced reaper
Work in the heat of the sun,
And my father will sing the scythe-song
That rejoices in the harvest done.

I will go with my father a-threshing
To a barn set by the sea,
And the crows and the rooks and the sparrows
Will come flocking after me.
I will see the labouring thresher
Swing his flail up over his head,
And my father will sing the flail-song
That rejoices in wheat for our bread.

I will go with my father a-ploughing
To the green field by the sea,
And the crows and the rooks and the seagulls
Will come flocking after me.