Hares on the Mountains
Version 2
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Lesley Nelson-Burns

Information
Lyrics
This tune was popular in the West of England. Printed versions appear in a songbook by Cecil Sharp (1903). This version appears in a later work by Cecil Sharp (see below). Variants include:

The tune Blackbirds and Thruses is sometimes attributed to Irishman Samuel Lover (1797-1865) because it is included in his novel Rory O'More.

The two Sharp melodies are similar and follow the same pattern. Version 1 is young women seeking men and version 2 is the opposite.

Young women they'll run
Like hares on the mountains,
Young women they'll run
Like hares on the mountains
If I were but a young man
I'd soon go a hunting,
To my right fol diddle de ro,
To my right fol diddle dee.

Young women they'll sing
Like birds in the bushes,
Young women they'll sing
Like birds in the bushes.
If I were but a young man,
I'd go and bang those bushes.
To my right fol diddle de ro,
To my right fol diddle dee.

Young women they'll swim
Like ducks in the water,
Young women they'll swim
Like ducks in the water,
If I were but a young man,
I'd go and swim after,
To my right fol diddle de ro,
To my right fol diddle dee.

From One Hundred English Folksongs
Information From Folksongs of Britain and Ireland
See Bibliography for full information.