> Folk Music > Songs > The Seeds of Love
(I Sowed) The Seeds of Love
[
Roud 3
; Master title: The Seeds of Love
; G/D 6:1180
; Ballad Index K167
; MusTrad DB29
; VWML CJS2/9/1
, CJS2/9/3359
, RoudFS/S160616
; GlosTrad
Roud 3
; DT SEEDLOVE
; Mudcat 24409
; trad.]
Lucy Broadwood: English County Songs Maud Karpeles: The Crystal Spring Marek Korczynski, Michael Pickering, Emma Robertson: Rhythms of Labour Roy Palmer: Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs Roy Palmer: Songs of the Midlands Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Stephen Sedley: The Seeds of Love Cecil Sharp: One Hundred English Folksongs
The Seeds of Love, sung by the gardener John England, is the first folksong Cecil Sharp ever collected while he was staying with Charles Marson, vicar of Hambridge, Sussex, in September 1903 [VWML CJS2/9/1] . Maud Karpeles wrote about this in her biography Cecil Sharp: His Life and Work (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1967):
Cecil Sharp was sitting in the vicarage garden talking to Charles Marson and to Mattie Kay, who was likewise staying at Hambridge, when he heard John England quietly singing to himself as he mowed the vicarage lawn. Cecil Sharp whipped out his notebook and took down the tune; and then persuaded John to give him the words. He immediately harmonised the song; and that same evening it was sung at a choir supper by Mattie Kay, Cecil Sharp accompanying. The audience was delighted; as one said, it was the first time that the song had been put into evening dress.
George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang The Seeds of Love at home in Copthorne, Sussex, on 3 December 1955 to Peter Kennedy. This recording was released in 1976 on Maynard’s Topic album of traditional songs from Sussex, Ye Subjects of England. Another recording made by Reg Hall and Mervyn Plunkett in The Cherry Tree, Copthorne, Sussex, on 4 February 1956 was included in 1998 on the Topic anthology of songs of love and amorous encounters, Who’s That at My Bed Window? (The Voice of the People Volume 10).
Tom Willett sang The Seeds of Love at his home on a caravan site near Ashford, Middlesex, to Ken Stubbs in 1960. This recording was included in 2013 on the Willett Family’s Forest Track anthology A-Swinging Down the Lane.
Cyril Tawney sang The Seeds of Love in 1962 on his HMV EP of songs from the West Country, Baby Lie Easy. All tracks of this EP were included in 2007 on his posthumous anthology The Song Goes On. Peter Kennedy noted on the original album:
The first English folk song of the three thousand or more collected by Cecil Sharp. He was sitting in the garden of the vicarage at Hambridge in Somerset when he heard the gardener, John England, singing quietly to himself as he mowed the lawn. Sharp noted the song, arranged it the same day and, in the evening, a young lady with a voice sang it to his piano accompaniment. John England was proud of his song but doubtful about the piano.
Trevor Lucas sang I Sowed the Seeds of Love in 1967 on the soundtrack of Richard Rodney-Bennett’s movie Far From the Madding Crowd (after the novel by Thomas Hardy) and on the BBC Radio LP Through Bushes and Briar.
The Union Folk sang The Seeds of Love in 1969 on their Traditional Sound album A Basketful of Oysters. They noted:
This was the first song that Cecil Sharp collected. He heard it from John England, a gardener at Hambridge vicarage. Sharp noted the song, arranged it for piano and it was sung the same evening by a young lady.
A recording of Barbara Dickson singing The Seeds of Love live in between 1969 and 1973 was included in 2013 on her folk club album B4 Seventy-Four.
George Dunn sang a fragment of The Seeds of Love to Roy Palmer on 14 June 1971. This recording was included in 2002 on Dunn’s Musical Tradition anthology Chainmaker. Rod Stradling noted:
George’s singing here shows a remarkable tenderness. His fragment comes from a classic of English oral tradition, which circulated very little outside England; indeed Roud shows only a dozen or so US sightings, plus a handful each from Canada, Scotland or Ireland out of almost 200 entries. The earliest printed version I have seen dates from the eighteenth century. By the mid-nineteenth the song was “not only a favourite with our peasantry”, wrote J.H. Dixon, but “obtained popularity in more elevated circles”
Brian Dewhurst sang The Seeds of Love in 1972 as the last track on Hordon Raikes’ eponymous Folk Heritage album Horden Raikes. Dave Arthur noted:
The Seeds of Love was the first folksong collected by Cecil Sharp at Hambridge Vicarage, in Somerset, in September 1903. He heard it sung by the vicarage gardener Mr. John England. It made a fitting start to Sharp’s collection, and it makes a fitting end to this record.
Ron Simmonds sang The Seeds of Love live at the Stagfolk Folk Club at Shackleford Social Centre, near Godalming, on 26 March 1972. A recording of this concert was published in the same year on the album Stagfolk Live Folk.
Fred Jordan sang The Seeds of Love in 1974 on his Topic album When the Frost Is on the Pumpkin. This track was also included in 2003 on his Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad. Mike Yates noted:
In 1971 the English Folk Dance and Song Society Festival, held annually in London’s Albert Hall, included a number of acts depicting aspects of Cecil Sharp’s collecting career. Sharp’s encounter with William Kimber and the Headington Morris Men was easily recreated, as was his meeting with the Kirkby Malzeard Sword Dancers. But what of Sharp’s song collecting? Fred Jordan had been invited to the Festival and he was asked whether he could learn The Seeds of Love, the first song that Sharp had collected, in time for the event. Fred agreed, and, came the night, he gave a performance which would have stirred the heart of old John England, the Somerset gardener from whom Sharp had collected the song in 1903. Though Fred had not previously heard the song it is still relatively well known throughout England. In 1877 Robert Bell, editor of Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, stated that it was written in 1689 by one Mrs Fleetwood Habergam of Habergam in Lancashire. Scholars now feel that she possibly wrote down the words from the dictation of someone else, the symbolic structure of the song almost certainly pre-dating the late seventeenth century.
An unknown female singer, a neighbour of Harry Upton in Balcombe in Sussex, sang The Seeds of Love to Mike Yates in 1974. This recording was included in 200r on the Musical Traditions anthology of ongs and tunes from the Mike Yates Collection, The Birds Upon the Tree. Yates noted:
I was visiting the singer Harry Upton at his Balcombe, Sussex, home one day in 1974 when a neighbour arrived unexpectedly. “Sing Mike that song you know”, said Harry. So the lady did and I then asked her to sing it again so that I could record it. I wrote her name down in a notebook, which seems to have been lost in one of my several house-moves since then.
The Seeds of Love was, of course, the first song that Cecil Sharp noted. We are told that the song was written by a Mrs Fleetwood Habergham (d.1703), of Habergham, Lancashire, who, according to Dr Whitaker in his History of Whalley, was “ruined by the extravagance, and disgraced by the vices of her husband, she soothed her sorrows by some stanzas yet remembered among the old people of her neighbourhood”. It’s a nice story, especially as I come from Whalley and remember borrowing Dr Whitaker’s book from the local library when I was at the village school there, but there is no real evidence to suggest that Mrs Habergham did write the song.
Alec Bloomfield of Newark, Nottinghamshire, sang The Seeds of Love to Keith Summers in 1975. This recording was included in 2007 on the Musical Traditions anthology of Keith Summers recordings, A Story to Tell. Rod Stradling noted:
This is a very well-known song, with 241 Roud entries from right across the Anglophone world, but with England accounting for the vast majority.
Alec got this fine song from his father, Harry, who may possibly have learned it from George Spencer Leake, a merchant seaman from Snape who was nicknamed ‘Good Old 71’. The Seeds of Love, or Plenty of Thyme / The Sprig of Thyme as it is better known—though Garners Gay seems a far closer relative to Alec’s version—belongs to that class of songs and ballads (going back at least to A Nosegaie Alwaies Sweet … included in A Handful of Pleasant Delights, 1584) which centre around the symbolism of flowers—thyme for virginity, rue for its loss, rose for passion, willow for regret, etc.
The leading nineteenth century music-antiquarian, William Chappell included Seeds of Love as one of the three most popular songs with servant-maids of his time (1859). It doesn’t turn up in the written record until 1816, although one characteristic verse appears in a version of The Gardener printed in a Scottish chapbook in 1766.
Ernie Payne from Hawkesbury Upton, Gloucestershire, sang Seeds of Love to Mike Yates in ca. 1975. This recording was included in 1988 on the Veteran Tapes cassette Horkey Load 1 and in 2005 on the Veteran ahthology It Was on a Market Day—One. Mike Yates noted:
According to some authorities The Seeds of Love was composed by a Mrs Fleetwood Habergham (d. 1703), of Habergham, Lancashire. Dr Whitakar in his History of Whalley says that she was “Ruined by the extravagance and disgraced by the vices of her husband” and that she “soothed her sorrows by some stanzas yet remembered among the old people of the neighbourhood”. To be honest, we don’t know whether or not The Seeds of Love was composed by Mrs Habergham, but we do know that it was printed on several 19th century broadsides and that it has turned up repeatedly on the lips of traditional singers.
Barry Dransfield sang Seeds of Love in 1977 on his and his brother Robin’s Free Reed album Popular to Contrary Belief and on their Free Reed anthology Up to Now.
John Goodluck sang The Seeds of Love in 1977 on his Traditional Sound Recordings album Monday’s Childe. He noted:
This version contains all sorts of lovely folk symbolism; the Violet for modesty, the Lily for purity, the Pink for courtesy, Red Rose for passion, the Willow for unhappy love and the Hyssop for humiliation.
Tony Capstick sang Seeds of Love in 1978 on his Rubber album Tony Capstick Does a Turn.
Whippersnapper recorded The Seeds of Love in 1989 for their album Fortune. Incidentally, Whippersnapper’s Dave Swarbrick played the fiddler at Barn Dance in the movie Far From the Madding Crowd.
June Tabor recorded Let No Man Steal Your Thyme in 1992 for her album Angel Tiger, and she sang The Seeds of Love live at the Electric Theatre, Guildford, on 13 March 2004. This recording was included in 2005 on her 4 CD anthology Always.
George Withers from Donyatt, Somerset, sang The Seeds of Love to John Howson in 1994. This recording was included on the Veteran Tapes cassette The Fly Be on the Turmut (VT 133, ca. 1987-99) and in 2004 on the Veteran anthology of folk songs sung in the West Country Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and All. John Howson noted:
This was the first song that Cecil Sharp noted down in 1903 from John England of Hambridge, Somerset and he subsequently collected 31 versions of the song. It is also known as Garners Gay and there are 228 versions on the Roud Folk Song Database. Roy Palmer writes in English Country Songs English Country Songs (1979) “;The earliest printed version I have seen is an eighteenth century slip song, The Red Rose Bud, though the song may date back to the previous century. There is a Lancashire tradition, almost certainly unfounded, that it was written by a Mrs Fleetwood Habergham. This song was popular all around Britain. Other recordings can be heard on EFDSSCD02 A Century of Song sung by Billy Bartel of Bedfordshire and VTD148CD A Shropshire Lad. sung by Fred Jordan. George first learned the song at school.
Julie Murphy sang The Seeds of Love in 1995 on Mellstock Band’s album Songs of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. They noted:
Source: Hammond, D.485, from Mrs. Jane Hann at Stoke Abbot, June 1906 [VWML HAM/3/20/12] . Sung by Joseph Poorgrass at the Sheepshearing Supper in Far From the Madding Crowd, ch. xxiii.
Magpie Lane with Joanne Acty in lead sang The Seeds of Love in 1998 on their Beautiful Jo CD Jack-in-the-Green. They noted:
The first folk song ever collected by Cecil Sharp was a version of The Seeds of Love, from a Somerset gardener named John England, in 1903. Our arrangement is based on the version sung by woodcutter, hop-pole puller, poacher and marbles champion George ‘Pop’ Maynard (1872-1962) from Copthorne on the Sussex/Surrey border.
Andy Turner also sang The Seeds of Love both solo and with Magpie Lane as the 16 May 2014 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.
Ian Giles sang The Seeds of Love in 1999 on the Gift of Music album Folk Music of England.
Chris Wood sang Seeds of Love in 1999 on his and Jean François Vrod’s CD Crossing. He noted:
Taught to me by Martin Carthy, collected by W. Percy Merrick from Henry Hills of Lodsworth, West Sussex [VWML RoudFS/S160616] .
Mary Humphreys and Anahata sang Seeds of Love on their 2001 album Through the Groves. They noted:
Collected by Percy Merrick in Sussex in the early part of the 20th century. It is one of the most unusual versions of the tune we have heard, but very addictive!
Terry Yarnell sang The Seeds of Love in 2001 on his Tradition Bearers CD A Bonny Bunch. He noted:
Much has been written on the mixing of this song and the Sprig of Thyme and also concerning its connections with The Gardener. (See The Everlasting Circle by James Reeves; The Seeds of Love by Stephen Sedley, and others). I think the flower symbolism can be listed once again:
Rose Passionate love Violet Modesty Lily Purity Pink Courtesy Willow Unhappy love Thyme Hope / activity Rue Regret / disdain Hyssop Humility / cleanliness It was the very fine hexatonic tune that attracted me to this particular version of this lovely song.
Jim Moray sang The Seeds of Love on his 2003 album Sweet England.
Jon Loomes The Seeds of Love in 2005 on his Fellside album Fearful Symmetry. This track was also included in 2006 on Fellside’s 30th anniversary anthology Landmarks. Loomes noted:
This is a version of the very first folk song ever written. It was collected by Cecil Sharp in 1989 from Roland Orzabal of “Tears for Fears”. Roland’s version of the song mentions a “Mr England, sowing the seeds of love”, a fact that will have EFDSS members leafing through old copies of NME and Melody Maker for years to come.
Tom and Barbara Brown sang Seeds of Love in 2007 on their album West Country Night Out. They noted:
A elassic English lyrieal folk song, this was the first that Ceeil Sharp recorded. It was sung to him by the fortuitously named John England in Hambridge, Somerset, in August 1903 and, arguably, started the entire folk revival of the early twentieth century. This set of words is collated from a variety of sources.
Lauren McCormick and Emily Portman sang Seeds of Love in 2007 on their privately issued EP Lauren McCormick & Emily Portman.
Jon Boden sang I Sowed the Seeds of Love as the 17 February 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He also sang Seeds of Love on Bellowhead’s 2014 album Revival where he noted:
Although the melody used here is not the traditional one, Seeds of Love is a totem of English folk song. It was the first folk song ‘collected’ by Cecil Sharp, who due to his work discovering and documenting folk songs and dances in the early 20th century became the founding father of the revival of English folklore. Sharp famously heard this song being sung by gardener John England in Hambridge, Somerset in 1903. Sharp eventually travelled extensively collecting songs and dances, including visiting the United States where in states such as Virginia and North Carolina he collected versions of English folk songs that had survived the trans-Atlantic passage of emigration. Fine Sally, elsewhere on this album is an example of that geographical spread. In 1911 Sharp founded what has become the English Folk Dance and Song Society, the body now responsible for archiving and promoting these traditions. Its headquarters in Regent’s Park is named after Sharp. His influence is often felt in unlikely places, the title of this song providing the inspiration for the Tears for Fears album of the same name.
Steve Roud included both The Seeds of Love and The Sprig of Thyme in 2012 in The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. Bella Hardy sang The Seeds of Love a year later on the accompanying Fellside CD The Liberty to Choose.
Rob Williams sang The Seeds of Love in 2012 on his album Outstanding Natural Beauty. The songs on this album were originally collected in 1905 from Jane Gulliford of Combe Florey by the brothers Henry and Robert Hammond; this song in May 1905 [VWML HAM/2/2/12] .
Bernie Cherry sang The Seeds of Love on his 2013 Musical Traditions album With Powder, Shot and Gun. Rod Stradling noted:
One might presume that the popularity of this archetypal southern English love song (295 Roud entries) stems from the fact of it being the first song Cecil Sharp collected from the oh-so-appropriately named John England, in Hambridge, Somerset, in 1903. However, the earliest printed ver sions date from the eighteenth century, and there were many earlier collections, so it seems, simply, that it was a very popular song and no surprise at all that Mr England should have chosen it to sing.
In essence, it’s a very old song, and belongs to that class of songs and ballads (going back at least to A Nosegaie Alwaies Sweet… included in A Handful of Pleasant Delights, 1584) which centre around the symbolism of flowers—thyme for virginity, rue for its loss, rose for passion, willow for regret, etc.
Bernie: Another love song. Tune from Ernie Payne, words by osmosis
Rosie Upton sang The Seeds of Love in 2014 on her CD Basket of Oysters. She noted:
Another song learnt from my grandmother who in turn learnt it from her mother. This is very similar to a version collected by Cecil Sharp from Joseph Alcock [VWML CJS2/9/3359] of Sibford Gower, the next village to Brailes just over the border in Oxfordshire. I wouldn’t have dared ask my grandmother if the understood the symbolism!
Nancy Kerr with the Full English band sang I Sowed the Seeds of Love as the finale of the last ever Full English concert, at Cecil Sharp House on 10 May 2015. But they did not include the song on their 2013 album The Full English.
Kirsty Potts sang The Seeds of Love on her 2015 album The Seeds of Life. She noted:
I learnt this from the singing of Stephanie Norgard and Eileen Conn and their gem of an album Leaves So Green—Traditional English Songs (1998) after I saw them perform at Dartmoor Folk Club in 2001. I have varied the tune slightly in my own way of singing it.
Nick Dow sang The Seeds of Love on his 2016 album The Devil in the Chest. He noted:
From George Wyatt of Blue Bowl, West Harptree, 1905 [VWML CJS2/10/515] , one of Sharps’ informants. He and his wife Lydia lived in an old ‘key cottage’ and were well known and liked in the village. There is a biography of them both in the EFDSS book Still Growing. I found out that the cottage was pulled down due to flooding, but the pub where he may have sung is s till there.
This version of the Seeds of Love has a phenomenal tune.
Alex Cumming The Seeds of Love on his 2017 EP of songs and tunes from his solo touring project, Short Sharp Show, “a multi-media performance looking at the collections of Cecil Sharp and his hugely influential collaborators Olive Dame Campbell, Maud Karpeles and Mary Neal”.
Chris Foster sang The Seeds of Love in 2017 on his CD Hadelin. He noted:
The first folk song Cecil Sharp collected was sung by John England at Hambridge, Somerset in 1903. Sixty years later, it was one of the first songs I learned, off an E.P. by Cyril Tawney, when I signed up for the big folk music scare at Yeovil Folk Club. Now, just over a hundred years after it was collected, I’ve revisited the song, having not sung in since the 1960s.
Melrose Quartet sang The Seeds of Love on their 2017 CD Dominion. They noted:
A collection of less well-known versions of this archetypal gardener-as-lover song, based around a melody collected by Ella Mary Leather in Wembley, Herefordshire.
Andy Hemsley and Hastings Jack in the Green sang The Seeds of Love in the 2018 documentary The Ballad of Shirley Collins.
Edgelarks sang The Seeds of Love on their 2020 CD Henry Martin. They noted:
It’s quite intimidating to tackle the original English folk song. We decided to keep it simple, and then enjoyed experimenting with backing vocals to recreate the sounds of our buzzing summer garden outside. The words of the last verse, with their message of hope and regeneration, felt like the perfect ending for this record.
Sam Lee sang The Garden of England (Seeds of Love) in 2020 on his Cooking Vinyl album Old Wow.
Lizzy Hardingham sang The Seeds of Love on the 2023 anthology Sing Yonder 1. She noted:
It was my absolute pleasure to be asked to contribute to this record. I chose Seed of Love as I’d heard Bellowhead do an adaptation of the song and wanted to learn more about the song and how it was originally collected. Using Sing Yonder was easy and informative and I couldn’t recommend it any more highly!
Lyrics
John England sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love
And I sowed them in the spring
I gathered them up in the morning so soon
While the small birds do sweetly sing.
My garden was planted well
With flowers everywhere
But I had not the liberty to choose for myself
Of the flowers that I love so dear.
The gardener was standing by
And I asked hime to choose for me
He choosed for me the violet, the lily and the pink
But those I refuses all three.
The violet I did not like
Because it bloomed so soon
The lily and the pink I really overthink
So I vowed that I’d stay till June.
In June there was a red rose bud,
And that’s the flower for me
I oftentimes have plucked that red rose bud
Till I gain the willow tree.
The willow tree will twist
And the willow tree will twine
I have oftentimes have wished I was in that young man’s arms
That once had the heart of mine.
Come all you false young men,
D’not leave me here to complain
For the grass that have been oftentimes trampled under foot
Give it time it will rise up again.
Pop Maynard sings The Seeds of Love
O I sowed the seeds of love
For to blossom all in the Spring.
I sowed it all on one May morning,
𝄆 While the small birds they did sing. 𝄇
O I locked my garden gay,
And I chose for to keep the key,
Till some young man came a-courting me,
𝄆 And he stole my heart away. 𝄇
O the gardener was standing by,
And I asked him to choose for me.
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink.
𝄆 All those flowers I refused all three. 𝄇
O the violet I did not like,
Because it would fade so soon,
But the lily and the pink I fairly overlooked
𝄆 And I vowed I would stay till June. 𝄇
For in June there grows a red. red rose,
And that is the flower for me.
I’ve oftimes plucked at the red rose bud.
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
O the willow tree will twist
And the willow tree it will twine.
And so will that false and deluded young man,
𝄆 That once stole the heart of mine. 𝄇
O come all you fair young maids
A warning take by me,
For the grass that you oftimes have trampled under foot
𝄆 Give it time it will rise again. 𝄇
Tom Willett sings The Seeds of Love
O I sowed the seeds of love
for to blossom all in the spring
I sowed them on one May morning
𝄆 When the small birds they did sing 𝄆
O in June there’s a red rosebud
O and that is the flower for me
I oft-times plucked at the red and rosy bud
𝄆 Till I gained a willow tree 𝄆
Tom Willett: What’s the next set of words?
Mary Ann Willett: I locked up my garden gate…
I locked up my garden gate
And I vowed I would keep the key
Till one day a false and alluded young man
𝄆 O did fast stole my heart away 𝄆
Tom Willett: That’s a Copthorne song.
Ken Stubbs: Yes
Cyril Tawney sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love,
And I sowed them in the spring.
I gathered them up in the morning so soon
𝄆 While the small birds sweetly sing. 𝄇
The gardener was standing by
And I asked him to chose for me.
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink
𝄆 But these I refused all three. 𝄇
The violet I did not like
Because it fades too soon.
The lily and the pink, I did overthink,
𝄆 And I vowed I would wait till June. 𝄇
In June there’s the red rosebud,
And that’s the flower for me,
I pulled and I plucked at that red rosy bush,
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
The willow, it will twist,
And the willow, it will twine,
I wish I was back in that young girl’s arms,
𝄆 That once held this heart of mine. 𝄇
So come all you false young maids
That leave me hear to complain,
The grass that is now trodden underfoot,
𝄆 Give it time, it will rise again. 𝄇
Trevor Lucas sings I Sowed the Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love
And I sowed them in the springtime,
In April, May and sunny June
𝄆 When small birds sweetly sing. 𝄇
My gardener he stood by,
I asked him to choose for me.
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink
𝄆 But these I refused all three. 𝄇
The violet I forsook
Because it fades too soon.
The lily and the pink, I do really overthink,
And 𝄆 I vowed I’d wait till June. 𝄇
In June there’s the red rosebud,
And that’s the flower for me,
I pulled and I plucked at the red rosy bush,
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
The willow, it will twist,
And the willow, it will twine,
I wish I was back in that young girl’s arms,
𝄆 That once held this heart of mine. 𝄇
George Dunn sings The Seeds of Love
… … … …
And that is the flower for me.
You can have the violet, the lily and the pink,
𝄆 I’ll wait for the rose in June. 𝄇
The gardener stood by;
I asked him to choose for me.
He chooses me the violet, the lily and the pink,
𝄆 But those I refused all three. 𝄇
In June there’s a red rose bud,
And that is the flower for me.
So you can have the violet, the lily and the pink,
𝄆 I’ll wait for the rose in June. 𝄇
Fred Jordan sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love
And I sowed them in the spring,
I gathered them up in the morning early,
𝄆 While the small birds sweetly sing. 𝄇
O my garden was planted well
With flowers everywhere
But I had not the liberty
To choose for myself
𝄆 Of the flowers that I love so dear. 𝄇
O the gardener was standing by
And I asked him to choose for me.
He chose for me the violet,
The lily and the pink
𝄆 And these I refused all three. 𝄇
For the violet I did not like,
Because it came too soon.
The lily and the pink I really overthink,
𝄆 I vowed I would wait till June. 𝄇
For in June there’s a red rosebud
And that is the flower for me.
I oft-times have plucked
At that red rosebud
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
For the willow tree will twist
And the willow tree will twine,
I oft-times wished
I was in that young man’s arms
𝄆 That once had the heart of mine. 𝄇
So come, all you false young men,
Do not leave me here to complain,
For the grass that oft-times has
Been trampled under foot,
𝄆 Give it time, it will rise again. 𝄇
Unknown female singer from Balcombe sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love,
And I sowed them in the spring.
In April, May and June likewise,
𝄆 While the small birds sweetly sing. 𝄇
My garden was planted well,
With flowers everywhere.
I had not the liberty of choosing for myself,
𝄆 The flower I loved most dear. 𝄇
My gardener was standing by,
And I ask him to choose for me.
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink.
𝄆 And it’s them I refused all three. 𝄇
The violet I did not like,
Because it doth fade away so soon.
The lily and the pink I did overlook,
𝄆 I resolved to tarry till June. 𝄇
In June there’s the red rose bud,
And that’s the flower for me.
I oftimes plucked at that red rose bud,
𝄆 ’Til I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
Now the willow tree will twist,
And the willow tree will twine.
I wish I was in that young man’s arms
𝄆 That stole away this heart of mine. 𝄇
So a bunch of rue I’ll wear,
That no one shall ever touch.
And I’ll let the world so plainly see,
𝄆 That I loved one flower too much. 𝄇
Alec Bloomfield sings The Seeds of Love
(spoken:): And this is called I sowed the seeds of love.
Come all you young men and girls
That are just now in your prime.
I would have you to weed your garden gay
And take care not to leave any thyme.
I sowed the seeds of love
And sowed them in the spring.
I gathered them up they blossomed every morn
While the small birds sweetly sing.
My garden well planted out
Flowers perfume everywhere.
I had not the liberty to choose for myself
The flowers that I loved dear.
My gardener standing by
And I asked him choose for me.
He chose me a lily, a violet, and a pink
But these I refused all three.
The lily I did not like
Because it fades so soon
The violet and the pink I fairly overlooked
And I vowed I’d wait ‘til June.
In June a red, rose bud
That is the flower for me.
So I pulled and I snatched at the red rosy bud
And I gained a green willow tree.
O the willow tree it did twist
and the willow tree it did twine.
And so will be with a false hearted man
who gained that heart of mine.
My gardener standing by
He told me take good care.
For right in the middle of the red rosy bud
There grew a sharp thorn there.
I told him I’d take no care
Until I felt a smart.
I pulled and I plucked at the red rosy bud
‘Til it pierced me to the heart.
Then I locked my garden gate
Resolved to keep the key.
When a young man came with his flattering tongue
And stole my heart away.
My garden was overun
No flowers in it grew.
The beds once covered with sweet sweet thyme
Are now all covered with rue.
And rue has a wild running root
It runs both wild and free.
So I plucked everyone of those wild running roots
And planted a jolly oak tree.
Stand you up, stand you up, jolly oak
Stand up and be true to me.
And I will prove true as the one that I love
As true as the stars in the sky.
O thyme is a precious thing
that grows beneath the sun.
Time, time brings all things to an end
And time goes on and on.
Ernie Payne sings Seeds of Love
We sowed the seed of love
For then it blossom in the spring.
There is April, May and likewise June
And the small birds they all do sing,
𝄆 And the small birds they all do sing. 𝄇
The gardener standing by,
I asked him to choose for me.
He chosed the violet, the lily and the pink,
And those flowers I refused all three,
𝄆 And those flowers I refused all three. 𝄇
The violet I did not like,
Because it faded so soon,
But the lily and the pink I fairly overlooked
And I vowed I would stay till June,
𝄆 And I vowed I would stay till June. 𝄇
Well June brought forth the rose
And that is the flower for me,
For I’ve oft times plucked at the red and rosy bud
Till I gained the willow tree,
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
The willow tree won’t twine
And the willow tree won’t twain,
For no more did the fair and elusive young maid
𝄆 That once stole this heart of mine. 𝄇
George Withers sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love,
And I sowed them in the Spring,
I gathered them up in the morning so clear,
While the small birds did sweetly sing,
While the small birds did sweetly sing.
I locked my garden gate,
And I vowed I would keep the key,
’Till some young man stole my heart away,
When he came a courting me,
When he came a courting me.
My garden was planted well,
With flowers everywhere,
But did not have the liberty of choosing for myself,
Of the flowers that I love so dear,
Of the flowers that I love so dear.
Now the violet I did not like,
Because it did bloom too soon,
The lilly and the pink, I never really loved,
So I vowed I would wait ’til June,
So I vowed I would wait ’til June.
For in June there grows a red rose bud,
And the rose is a flower for me,
But often I have reached for that red rose bud,
And gained but the willow tree,
But I’ve plucked but the willow tree.
For the withy it will twist,
And the withy it will twine,
And so did that false and deluding young man,
Who stole this heart of mine,
Who once stole this heart of mine.
So come all you fair young maids,
And warning take from me,
The grass that you have often times tramped under foot,
May rise again for thee,
It may rise up again for thee.
And come all you false young men,
Do not leave me here to complain,
The grass that you have often times tramped under foot,
Give it time it may rise again,
Give it time it may rise again.
Julie Murphy sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love
It was all in the spring
In April, May and sunny June
When small birds they do sing
My garden was planted well
With flowers everywhere
But I have not the liberty to choose it for myself
The flower that I love best
My gardener was standing by
And I asked him to choose for me
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink
But I refused all three
The violet I did not like
Because it fades so soon
The lily and the pink I really overlooked
And I vowed I’d stay till June
In June there’s a red rose bud
And that’s the flower for me
And I’ve oft times plucked at the red rose bush
Till I gained the willow tree
O the willow tree will twist
And the willow tree will twine
I wish I was in that young man’s arms
Where I’ve been many a time
Thyme is a precious thing
It’s a root that the sun shines on
It’s a root that will bring all things to an end
And so our time goes on
It is good to be drinking ale
It’s better to be drinking of wine
O better if I’d stayed in that young man’s arms
Where I’ve been many a time
Come all you false young men
Don’t leave me here to repine
For the grass that be often trampled underfoot
Give it time it will rise again
June Tabor sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love,
I sowed them in the spring,
In April, May and in June likewise
𝄆 When the small birds sweetly sing. 𝄇
My garden was planted well
My flowers ev’rywhere;
But I had not the liberty to choose for myself
𝄆 Of the flowers growing there. 𝄇
My gard’ner was standing by;
And I asked him to choose for me.
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink,
𝄆 But these I refused all three. 𝄇
The violet I do not like,
Because it fades too soon.
The lily and the pink, oh, I really overthink,
𝄆 And so I will wait till June. 𝄇
In June comes the red rosebud,
And that’s the flower for me.
Oft times I have pulled at that red rosy bush
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
For the willow tree will twist
And the willow tree will twine.
Oft times I have wished myself back in that young man’s arms
𝄆 Who once had this heart of mine. 𝄇
So come all you fine young men,
And don’t leave me here to complain;
For the grass that has often been trampled underfoot,
𝄆 Given time, it will rise again. 𝄇
(Repeat first verse)
Rob Williams sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed my loving seed,
And I sowed it in the Spring,
In April, in May, in June likewise,
The sweet birds sweetaly sing.
My garden is well planted in
And a flower of every kind,
But I have not the liberty to choose for myself
For this young man is to be mine.
My gardener was standing by,
I asked him to choose for me,
He choosed the violet, the lily and the pink,
But of these I refused all three.
For the violet I did not like,
Because it blooms so soon,
And the lily and the pink was so overlook,
So I vowed I would wait til June.
In June there was a red rose bud,
And that’s the flower for me,
So I often plucked out the red rose bud,
Til I gained the willow tree.
The willow tree it will twist,
And the willow tree it will twine,
And so did my false lover, too,
When he’d gained this heart of mine.
It’s a pleasure to drink good ale,
It’s a pleasure to drink good wine,
It’s a pleasure to be in a young man’s arms,
Where I’ve been full many a time.
Bernie Cherry sings The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love
All for to blossom in spring
In April, May and June likewise
While the small birds sweetly sing.
My garden was planted well
With flowers everywhere
I had not the liberty to choose
The flowers that I love most dear.
The gardener was standing there
And I asked him to choose for me
He chose the violet the lily and the pink
But these I refused all three.
The violet I did not like
Because it faded so soon
The Lily and Pink I did quite overlook
And I vowed I would wait ‘til June.
For in June there’s a red rosy bush
And that’s the flower for me
Often times have I plucked at the red rosy bush
‘Til I gained the willow tree.
The willow tree will twain
And the willow tree will twine
And I wish I was back in that young girl’s arms
That once had this heart of mine.
So come all you sorrowful young men
That likes to chipper and to change
The grass that is often times trodden under foot
Give it time, it will rise up again.
Bellowhead sing Seeds of Love
O I sowed the seeds of love
I sowed them all in the spring
I sowed them all on one May morning
While the small birds they did sing
O the gardener was standing by
And I asked him to choose for me
He chose me the violet the lily and the pink
Those flowers I refused all three
For love it is tender and love it is true
And love it is pleasure when first it is new
But when it grows old then love grows cold
And fades like morning dew
O the violet I did not like
Because it would fade too soon
The lily and the pink I did really over think
And I vowed I would stay till June
For in June there grows a red rose bud
And that is the flower for me
I oft times had plucked that red rose bud
Till I gained the willow tree
O the willow tree it will twist
And the willow tree it will twine
And so will that false and deluded young girl
Who once stole this heart of mine
Melrose Quartet sing The Seeds of Love
I sowed the seeds of love,
It was all in the spring,
In April, May and in June likewise
𝄆 While small birds they do sing. 𝄇
My garden was planted well
With flowers everywhere;
But I hadn’t the liberty to choose for myself
𝄆 The flowers that I loved dear. 𝄇
My gardener he stood by
And I asked him to choose for me.
He chose me the violet, the lily and the pink
𝄆 But those I refused all three. 𝄇
In June there’s the red rosebud,
And that’s the flower for me,
For often have I plucked at the red rose bud,
𝄆 Till I gained the willow tree. 𝄇
Come all you false young men,
Don’t leave me to complain;
For grass that has often been trampled underfoot,
𝄆 Given time, it will rise again. 𝄇