The Farmer in the Dell

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"The Farmer in the Dell"
Roud #6306
Written by Traditional
Published 1820
Written Germany
Language English
Form Nursery Rhyme

"The Farmer in the Dell" is a singing game, nursery rhyme and children's song. It probably originated in Germany, and was brought to North America by immigrants.[1] From there it spread to many other nations and is popular in a number of languages. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6306.

Contents

[edit] Lyrics

Lyrics vary even within the same country. The following is a common version in the United States:

The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes a child
The wife takes a child
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes a child
The child takes a nurse
The child takes a nurse
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The child takes a nurse
The nurse takes a cow
The nurse takes a cow
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The nurse takes a cow
The cow takes a dog
The cow takes a dog
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes a dog
The dog takes a cat
The dog takes a cat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The dog takes a cat
The cat takes a rat
The cat takes a rat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cat takes a rat
The rat takes the cheese
The rat takes the cheese
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The rat takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone

[edit] Origins and dissemination

The rhyme is first recorded in Germany in 1826, as "Es fuhr ein Bau'r ins Holz," and was more clearly a courtship game with a farmer choosing a wife, then in turn the selecting of a child, maid, and serving man, who leaves the maid after kissing.[1] This was probably taken to North America by German immigrants, where it next surfaced in New York in 1883 much in its modern form and using a melody similar to "A Hunting We Will Go".[1] From here it seems to have been adopted in through the United States, Canada (noted from 1893), the Netherlands (1894) and Great Britain; it is first found in Scotland in 1898 and England from 1909. In the early twentieth century it was evident as wide as France ("Le fermier dans son pré"), Sweden ("En bonde i vår by"), Australia, and South Africa.[1]

[edit] Variations

Like most children's songs, there are geographic variations.

In the United Kingdom it is known as "The Farmer's In His Den'", and progresses through the farmer, wife, child, nurse, dog, ending with a bone, which is then vigorously patted.[1] The 'Hi-Ho, the derry-o' is variously replaced with "Ee-i, tiddly-i" in London, 'Ee-i, andio' (for instance in Northern England), and 'Ee-i, ee-i' (for instance in the West Country).[1]

The Romanian version is "Taranul e pe camp" (The farmer is on the field) but the hey-o is replaced with "Ura, draguta mea" (Hooray, my sweet heart) and the last verses are - the child has a nurse, the nurse has a cat, the cat catches a mouse, the mouse eats a cheese, the cheese was in a cask, the cask is in the garbage, the farmer to chose.

[edit] Game

The players form a circle holding hands around one who is designated as the farmer, singing the first verse while moving around. When the verse is over they stop and the farmer makes his choice of a wife (sometimes without looking). The wife joins him in the center for her verse and so through the verses until either or the cheese or dog is selected or only one person is left to become the last character. They usually become the farmer for the next round.[1]

[edit] In popular culture

 Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (June 2009)
  • In the 1932 western film Renegades of the West, actor Roscoe Ates sings "Farmer in the Dell".
  • In William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying, the name of character Dewey Dell is a sexual pun based on the title of this song.
  • On the HBO original television series The Wire, the Robin Hood-like thief Omar Little, who routinely robs Baltimore drug dealers at gunpoint, fearlessly whistles The Farmer in the Dell / A-Hunting We Will Go as he approaches, often punctuated with "The cheese stands alone."
  • The book I Am the Cheese takes its name from the song.
  • In the book "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, the character Bunny sings The Farmer in the Dell to taunt the other characters who have accidentally killed a farmer.
  • The Cheese Stands Alone is the name of a card in the Unglued set of Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering trading card game. It also appears as a goal in the Fluxx card game—to win when it is in play, one must have the 'Cheese' card as the only keeper in possession. This "circle game" is played in 49 states but is illegal in Ohio.
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g I. Opie and P. Opie, The Singing Game (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985), pp. 183-9.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farmer_in_the_Dell"
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