The Carter

[ Roud 2408 ; Master title: The Carter ; Ballad Index VWP098 ; DT THECARTR ; trad.]

Alan Helsdon: Vaughan Williams in Norfolk Volume 2 Maud Karpeles: Cecil Sharp’s Collection of English Folk Songs Marek Korczynski, Michael Pickering, Emma Robertson: Rhythms of Labour: Music at Work in Britain Roy Palmer: Folk Songs Collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Bob Arnold sang The Carter in 1974 on the Argo compilation album The World of the Countryside.

Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman sang The Carter in 1996 on their Dragon album Bonnet & Shawl. They noted:

This wonderful song comes from the singing of Bob Arnold (Tom Forest of The Archers), although we must acknowledge a debt to Brian Westcot (a fine singer from Worcestershire) for giving this song a new life. Our version is a mixture of Bob’s, Brian’s, the version collected by Roy Palmer and our own interpretation. Thanks to all.

The Cecil Sharp Centenary Collective sang The Carter in 2003 on their Talking Elephant album As I Cycled Out on a May Morning.

John Kirkpatrick sang The Carter’s Song in 2011 on his Fledg’ling album of the Victorian farmer’s year in song, God Speed the Plough.

The man in charge of the horses held one of the most senior posts on a farm. In different parts of the country he was referred to as horseman, or waggoner, or carter, and clearly he had a huge responsibility for making sure the creatures in his care were fully prepared for the massive amount that was expected of them.

Compared to some of their farmyard colleagues, horses are rather fussy over what they eat and where they sleep, and they can’t just be left out to fend endlessly for themselves. The daily routine of feeding, cleaning, rubbing down, and bedding forges a strong bond between man and beast, and their neediness seems to generate the deepest affection. If ever there were a trip required away from the farm, when there would be a chance to dress up the horses in all the finery of their Sunday best, then no effort would be spared to show that here was the finest team, in the safest hands.

Hockey Feltwell, of Southery in Norfolk, learned what he called Four Horses [Roud 12929] from his father, who had worked with horses all his life. You can hear Hockey singing it on the Topic CD Come All My Lads That Follow the Plough, part of the Voice of the People series. I’d like to thank Peta Webb, of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, for help in finding other versions, especially a few from the EFDSS Journal of 1916, and Gwilym Davies, who kindly sent me his recording of the way the song was sung to him by Bob Arnold the man who played Tom Forest in The Archers.

A couple of the traditional performers of this piece ended up with a verse saying that they were in such a state of bliss whilst driving the team along that they were inspired to make up the song they were now singing. I thought this was just daft, until I realised that in the course of mixing all the ingredients together for my own take on The Carter’s Song, I seem to have accidentally ended up with a tune that wasn’t there at all to start with. Walk on!

Alasdair Paul and Amy Leach sang The Carter in 2026 on their album They’ll Aye Remain. They noted:

We heard this song sung by the wonderful Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman at Bromyard Folk Festival. Dave learnt it from the singing of Bob Arnold from Oxfordshire who played Tom Forrest on The Archers.

Lyrics

Alasdair Paul and Amy Leach sing The Carter

When I were a young man, I’d go with a team
And my only delight was in keeping them clean
With brushes and curries I’d show their bright colour
And the name that they gave I were hearty good fellow

As ever at evening when I go to my bed
And the thought of my horses comes in to my head
When I rise in the morning, with something for to eat
Just as soon as I’ve got my shoes on my feet

And as we go driving out on the highway
When my load it gets light then I gives them some hay
And I give them some water when we come to a pond
And it’s after we’ve drunk boys walk steadily on

My feet do get weary, a-walking by their side
And I says my self you must get up and ride
And as I am riding, I made a new song
And it’s now as I sing you must learn it along