Three Jolly Rogues

Three Jolly Rogues is an English folk song.

Synopsis

A miller, a weaver and a tailor lived in King Arthur's time (or in "Good Old Colonial times"). They were thrown out because they could not sing. All three were thieves. They are suitably punished.

The Miller got drowned in a dam

The Weaver got hung in his yarn

The Tailor tripped as he ran away with the broadcloth under his arm.

Lyrics (version from "Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn", performed by Tim Hart and Friends)

In good King Arthur's day

When we served under the King

Lived a miller and a weaver and a little tailor

Three jolly rogues of Lynn.

Now the miller he stole corn

And the weaver he stole yarn

And the little tailor he stole broadcloth

For to keep those three rogues warm

Now the miller was drowned in his dam

And the weaver was hanged in his yarn

And the devil put his claw on the little tailor

With the broadcloth under his arm

Now the miller still drowns in his dam

And the weaver still hangs in his yarn

And the little tailor he skips through hell

With the broadcloth under his arm

Printed versions

The earliest complete text is a broadside in the Bodleian Library, dated 1804, "The Miller Weaver and Little Tailor".^[1] It is also known as "In Good King Arthur's Days". The song is quoted by Thomas Hardy in "Under the Greenwood Tree". It is known in the USA from the early nineteenth century, usually as "In Good Old Colony Days" or "In Good Old Colony Times."^[2]

Recorded versions

Phonograph recording of Bismarck's voice (1889)

The only known recording of Bismarck's voice.^[3] See the file's page for a transcript and other details.

1. ^ Johnson Ballads fol. 84
2. ^ "Smithsonian Institution Shop: The Appalachian Dulcimer: An Instructional Record". Retrieved 2018-09-15.
3. ^ Ron Cowen, "Restored Edison Records Revive Giants of 19th-Century Germany" The New York Times (30 January 2012). Retrieved 1 February 2012