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Two Farmers

[ Roud - ; Mudcat 143235 , 161947 ; Mike Waterson]

Two Farmers is a song by Mike Waterson, about Mr Swan and Mr Duck who are breeding several kind of water fowl. He never officially recorded and released this song on an album.

But there was a performance of Mike singing Two Farmers live in Scotland in 1997:

Lyrics

Mike Waterson sings Two Farmers

Two farmers lived by the mill,
If they’re not dead, they live there still.
Each had a special skill
Breeding fat birds.

Now the first farmer’s name was Swan,
Breeding ducks brought him fame,
Breeding ducks brought him gain,
Swan he bred ducks.

And the next farmer’s name was Duck,
Breeding geese brought him luck
And great cartloads of goose muck,
Duck he bred geese.

Now the young lad sat by the pond,
Willow wand in his hand,
He being the keeper of both
Geese and ducks.

And the schoolmaster he rode by,
New to the district he,
Casting envious eyes upon
Both geese and ducks.

“Whose ducks are these?” he said,
Pointing down with his head.
The lad smiled and turned and said,
“Them ducks is Swan’s.”

Now the schoolmaster shook his head,
Turning a little red,
Turned round once more and said,
“Whose geese is these?”

The lad smiled, he turned his head:
“You’ll not find better bred:
Them geese is all corn-fed
And them geese is Duck’s.”

“Young lad you are a fool
Sitting here by the pool;
Better to be at school
Learning about ducks.”

The lad turned, he smiled and said,
“Them that can, do,” he said,
“Them that can’t, teach instead.
I know my ducks!

“And them ducks is Swan’s,” he said,
“You’ll not find better bred.
As for the geese,” he said,
“Them geese is Duck’s.”