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Love on a Farmboy’s Wages

[ Roud - ; Andy Partridge]

Love on a Farmboy’s Wages is a song written by Andy Partridge of the English rock band XTC. It was released as the third single from their 1983 album Mummer and peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart.

The Poozies sang Love on a Farmboy’s Wages in 1993 on their Hypertension album Chantoozies, and Sally Barker sang it in 1998 on her and Keith Richard Buck’s album Passion and the Countess. The Poozies noted:

Karen [Tweed] would like to take the Poozies to Port Merrion but then she’s slightly over-fanatical about XTC. It’s an ideal Poozies song in that Sally is both a farmer’s daughter and married to a farmer.

Fairport Convention sang Love on a Farmboy’s Wages in 2011 on their Matty Groves album Sense of Occasion.

GreenMatthews sang Love on a Farmboy’s Wages on their 2026 album Midsummer Revels. They noted:

Love on a Farmboy’s Wages is perhaps a rather more accurate representation of rural life at the time [than Don’t You Be Foolish, Pray] and can be found on XTC’s 1983 album Mummer.

Lyrics

GreenMatthews sing Love on a Farmboy’s Wages

High climbs the summer sun
High stands the corn
And tonight when my work is done
We will borrow your father’s carriage
We will drink and prepare for marriage
Soon my darling, soon my darling

Chorus (after each verse):
Shilling for the fellow who brings the sheep in
Shilling for the fellow who milks the herd
Shilling for the fellow with a wife for keeping
How can we feed love on a farmboy’s wages?

Deep under winter snow
Deep lay the lambs
And tonight by the full moon’s glow
Flask of wine on my feather bedding
We will drink and prepare for wedding
Soon my darling, soon my darling

People think that I’m no good
Painting pictures, carving wood
I’d be a rich man if I could
But the only job I do well is here on the farm
On the farm
And it’s breaking my back

We will borrow your father’s carriage
We will drink and prepare for marriage
Soon my darling, soon my darling