Joan Sugarbeet - The Kipper Family

[@morrisophile]

The melodeon sounds very much like Tony Hall, who is another Norfolk lad.

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

Interesting - I didn't knew they grew sugar cane crops in East Anglia. I thought that was mostly in the Caribbean and the Southern US.

[@Liederfuchs]

Ah the song is just a parody of John Barleycorn. The Kipper Family (that's Chris Sugden and Dick Nudds) took well known folk songs and wrote silly parody lyrics for them.
Even their "band name" is a parody on the well known Copper Family of traditional singers from Rottingdean.
There certainly weren't any sugar cane crops in East Anglia. :D

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

@@Liederfuchs I know. So sugar plantation is a strange thing for a comedy folk singing duo who drew on local Norfolk references to sing about.
Almost like them singing songs about rice paddies or cotton fields or coffee crops - you get none of those in rural East Anglia either.

[@asphodeline]

No, sugar cane doesn't grow in England but sugar beet does, as in the title, and the end product is refined sugar. Different crop, similar end result.

[@phabathanbob]

You probably won't understand some of this unless you live in Norfolk, but here are the lyrics
There were three men came out of the East
Their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
Joan Sugarbeet should die
They plowed, they sowed, they harrowed her in
Threw clods upon her head
And these three men made a solemn vow
Joan Sugarbeet was dead
They let her lie for a very long time
Till the rain from heaven did fall
Then little lady Joan sprung up her head
And soon amazed them all
They let her stand till midwinter
Till she looked both flaccid and green
And little Lady Joan she grew a big bottom
And so became a queen
They hired men with hands so strong
To pull her out of bed
They cut her in half around the waist
And threw away her head
They hired men with sharp pitchforks
Who piled her by the road
But the driver he served her worse than that
For he threw her upon his load
They rolled her along and along the road
Till at Cantley they did meet
And there they made a bloody great stack
Of poor Joan Sugarbeet
They hired men with choppers so huge
To chop her into bits
And the Sugar Corporation served her worse than that
For they drowned her in a pit
Here’s little Lady Joan in a china cup
And lumps all in a bowl
And little Lady Joan in the china cup
She proved the sweeter girl
For the office boy can’t balance his books
Nor keep his desk so neat
And the housewife can’t enjoy her cup of P. G. Tips
Without a little bit of Joan Sugarbeet

[@stevenaelfcyning5853]

love it! Haven't heard this in years. Any chance you could put up the Trunch Wassail song, too?

[@Liederfuchs]

I'm glad you like it. Sure thing, I'll upload it for you.

[@Liederfuchs]

There you go: th-cam.com/video/reiXwyUm0lM/w-d-xo.html

[@stevenaelfcyning5853]

@@Liederfuchs Awesome, thank you so much! I've subscribed to your channel. Lots of good things here. :-)

[@stevenaelfcyning5853]

Thank you so much! Wassail!

[@hawketc]

You wouldn't happen to happen by chance a copy of To be a pharmacist?

[@Liederfuchs]

I had the album with that song in mp3 form a few years ago. I'll look through my stuff, if I can find it again I'll upload the song.

[@nikkidavies4823]

@@hughwozzit4301 The words are on Mudcat and the tune is to be a farmers boy.