Barley, Barley And Barley-Oh

(This song, from the pencil of Sid's uncle George, describes the modern Norfolk four-course rotation of crops.  The 'oh' refers to a year of set-aside.)

In Spring look out upon the land,

A thousand acres at your command,

See all the hedgerows blooming and,

Have them all grubbed out.

If April showers should come your way,

They bring the flowers that bloom in May;

So give out orders now to spray,

Before such weeds can sprout.

The seasons round fight every foe

Of barley, barley and barley-oh.

In Summer have your barley grow

In neat and tidy perfect rows;

Where the bee sucks I don't know,

But not round here, that's clear.

When blackbirds sing on every bow,

Of trees grown high, and standing proud,

Send out your men to cut them down;

They serve no purpose here.

The seasons round fight every foe

Of barley, barley and barley-oh.

In Autumn, when the weather's fair,

Let sounds of singing fill the air

Inside the tractor cab, for there

Be tuned to Radio 2.

And now there's real work to be done,

For you must sit and do your sums,

To make sure that your bounty comes

On time from the EU.

The seasons round fight every foe

Of barley, barley and barley-oh.

When Winter winds are whistling, and

Drifts of snow hide all the land,

Fly to Barbados, to get tanned,

And rest there, at your ease.

And soon the year will come round when

Your barley will be all GM,

Which sews and reaps itself, and then

Farewell to drudgery.

The seasons round fight every foe

Of barley, barley and barley-oh.

The seasons round fight every foe

Of barley, barley and barley-oh.

Copyright Chris Sugden, 2000