"Hares On The Mountain" A Traditional Folk Song.

Hi Everyone

So yesterday I mention I got an invite to play an open mic set this coming Friday night.

I mentioned yesterday I will likely open the set with the song "The Birmingham Mill" which I posted yesterday.

This open mic event only gives each musician 2 songs so Ive been sitting here today trying to work out what song I should play to close the set.

I started playing around with this old folk song called "Hares On The Mountain"

This song is made up of verses from 2 very old songs ,one is called "Oh Sally My Dear" and the other is often refered to as "Hares On The Mountian" or "Blackbirds and Thrushes".

Each of those 2 songs has countless alternate verse and what we have here is sort of a combination of the best verses from the 2 songs.

The song was first made famous by the singer Shirley Collins and the ground breaking acoustic guitarist Davey Graham.

I think this song works well in contrast with "The Birmingham Mill" which is played fast.This slows everything right down and has a beautiful little fill which is played on the open minor harmonic scale.
I think this could work well as the second song in my open mic set.

Here are the verse's I am singing in my version.

"Hares On The Mountain"

Oh Sally my dear, it's you I'd be kissing
Oh Sally my dear, it's you I'd be kissing
She smiled and replied, you don't know what you're missing

Oh Sally my dear, I wish I could wed you
Oh Sally my dear, I wish I could wed you
She smiled and replied, "Then you'd say I'd misled you"

If all you young men were hares on the mountain
If all you young men were hares on the mountain
How many young girls would take guns and go hunting?

If the young men could sing like blackbirds and thrushes
If the young men could sing like blackbirds and thrushes
How many young girls would go beating the bushes?

If all you young men wеre fish in the water
If all you young mеn were fish in the water
How many young girls would undress and dive after?

But the young men are given to frisking and fooling
Oh the young men are given to frisking and fooling
So leave them alone and attend to thy schooling

Oh Sally my dear, it's you I'd be kissing
Oh Sally my dear, it's you I'd be kissing
She smiled and replied, you don't know what you're missing