The Barley and the Rye

It's of an old country farmer who lived in the West country,
And he had the prettiest little wife that ever I did see,
And a young man came a-courting her when the old man he wasn't nigh,
And ofttimes they'd take a tumble amongst the barley and the rye.

Now when the old man woke in the morning, and he found himself all alone
Well he looked out of his window, and he spied his wife in the corn,
And the young man lay beside her, and it caused the old man for to cry
He cried, "Wife, wife, I wonder at you, for spoiling of our rye!"

"Oh husband," she cries, "Oh husband, it's the like I've ne'er done before
But if you have got one friend, I have another one in store
He's a friend that will not decieve you, if you will but him employ,
He's got money enough for to pay you for our barley and our rye."

From Harmonious Companions, Myers
Transcribed from singing of Peter Bellamy
RG