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Three Men Went A-Hunting
Composer: Traditional

Three Men Went A-Hunting was performed by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman in the 1990's. It was Also played by Garcia with the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers in San Carlos on June 11th 1962 which circulates on tape.

Words and music for the song were included in The New Lost City Ramblers Songbook in 1964/1976.

A traditional English song also sometimes known as Three Jolly/Jovial Huntsmen, Three Jolly/Jovial Welshmen, Look Ye There, We Hunted An We Halloed and We Hooped And We Hollered or other variations.

The origins of the song are uncertain. A section of this or very similar song is quoted in the Fletcher play "The Two Noble Kinsmen" written around 1613.



Jerry Garcia recordings

info Not For Kids Only, Garcia/Grisman, 1993
info Old Time Music Collection, Volume 1, Various Artists, 2009
info Not for Kids Only: Deluxe Edition, Garcia/Grisman, 2020

Other recordings

no info Byrd Moore & his Hot Shots, 1929
info More Songs to Grow On, Alan Mills, 1954
no info Songs Inane Only, Oscar Brand, 1958
no info Field Trip-England, Various Artists (George Endicott), 1959
no info Burl Ives Sings for Fun, Burl Ives, 195?
info The New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 3, The New Lost City Ramblers, 1961
no info Oscar Brand's Children's Concert, Oscar Brand, 1961
no info English Drinking Songs, A.L. Lloyd, 1961
no info The Elliots of Birtley: A Musical Portrait of a Durham Mining Family, Elliot Family, 1961
no info Will Holt Concert, Will Holt, 1963
info The Original Hootenanny, Various Artists (Will Holt), 1963
no info Southern Dance Music, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots), 1965
info Children's Songs From Devon and Cornwall, Cyril Tawney, 1969
no info Philo Glee & Mandolin Society, Philo Glee & Mandolin Society, 196?
no info Terrea Lea and Her Singing Guitar, Terrea Lea, 196?
no info Folk Music in America, Vol.13, Songs of Childhood, Various Artists (Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots), 1978
no info Moyallan Brown Rd, Tom McClung, 1980
no info Bob Davenport and The Rakes 1977, Bob Davenport, 1981
no info The Best of Burl's for Boys and Girls, Burl Ives, 1982
no info Folk Songs And Ballads, Vol. 2, Phyllis Marks, 1991
no info The Greatest Stars of Folk Music, Various Artists (Will Holt), 1994
no info Brave Boys: New England Traditions in Folk Music, Various Artists (Sara Cleveland), 1995
no info Folk Music: All That's Folk, Various Artists (Will Holt), 1996
no info Songs for Children of All Ages, Robin Williamson, 1999
no info Wood - Wilson - Carthy, Wood, Wilson & Carthy, 1999
no info Byrd Moore and His Hotshots, 19??
no info The String Bands, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Byrd Moore and His Hotshots), 19??
no info American Roots: A History of American Folk Music, Various Artists (Byrd Moore and His Hotshots), 2000
info 40 Years of Concert Performances, New Lost City Ramblers, 2001
info Greenback Dollar: 1929-1933, Clarence Ashley, 2001
no info Nursery Rhyme Thyme, Various Artists, 2001
no info The First Grade: Greatest Hits, Various Artists, 2002
no info The Wayfaring Stranger, Burl Ives, 2005
no info The Hollow Trees, The Hollow Trees, 2005
no info The Land of Milk and Honey: Nursery Rhyme Thyme, Various Artists, 2005
info Beware Young Ladies!, Tom Paley, 2007
info My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean: British Songs in the USA, Various Artists (Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots), 2015

Lyrics

The Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers performed a fairly short version of the song in 1962. The lyrics from their performance of the song were as follows;

Three me went a-hunting,
And something they did find,
They came across a porcupine,
And that they left behind,
Irishman said it's a porcupine,
Scotsman he said nay,
Welshman said it's a pin cushion,
With the pins stuck in the wrong way.

Three me went a-hunting,
And something they did find,
They came across a toad-frog,
And that they left behind,
Irishman said it's a toad-frog,
Scotsman he said nay,
Welshman said it's a jay bird,
With the feathers blown away.

Three me went a-hunting,
And something they did find,
They came across a (faucet?),
And that they left behind,
Irishman said it's a (faucet?),
Scotsman he said nay,
Welshman said it's the end of the world,
Let's go back the other way.

 
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