The "Farmyard Song" () is a

cumulative song A cumulative song is a song with a simple verse structure modified by progressive addition so that each verse is longer than the verse before. Cumulative songs are popular for group singing, in part because they require relatively little memoriza ...

about

farm animals Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

, originating in the British Isles and also known in North America. It is known by various titles, such as: * "I Bought Me a Cat" * "I Love My Rooster" * "I Bought Me a Horse" * "My Cock Crew" * "The Green Tree" * "The Barnyard Song" * "There Was An Old Man of Tobago"

Summary

In the first verse, the narrator tells of buying or having a rooster, cat, horse or other animal, feeding them under a tree, and the

call Call or Calls may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Call, a type of betting in poker * Call, in the game of contract bridge, a bid, pass, double, or redouble in the bidding stage Music and dance * Call (band), from Lahore, Paki ...

the animal makes. Each subsequent verse introduces a new animal, then repeats the calls of the animals from previous verses.

Versions

There were several versions known in the

Thames Valley The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...

in the early part of the 20th century. A version collected in Bampton, Oxfordshire around 1916 began as follows: Musicologists

Loraine Wyman (Julie) Loraine Wyman (October 23, 1885 – September 11, 1937) was an American soprano, noted for her concert performances of folk songs, some of which she collected herself from traditional singers in field work. Paul J. Stamler has called Wyma ...

and Howard Brockway collected "The Barnyard Song" in Kentucky in 1916. This version began, Some American variants are not cumulative, but instead group all the animal calls together at the end of the song.

Adaptations and recordings

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

included the song as "I Bought Me a Cat" in his 1950 song cycle, '' Old American Songs'' (part I). *"I Went to Market",

The Watersons The Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies. They have been called the "most famous fam ...

, ''Green Fields'' (1981) *"My Cock Crew", Con Greaney, ''Traditional Singer'' (1991) *"Bought Me a Cat", ''

Barney & Friends ''Barney & Friends'' is an American children's television series targeted at young children aged 2–7, created by Sheryl Leach. The series premiered on PBS on April 6, 1992. The series features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomo ...

'', on the episode "Down on Barney's Farm" (1992)

References

{{authority control Cumulative songs English folk songs American folk songs Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown Songs about animals Songs about farmers