Hares on the Mountain facts for kids

Hares on the Mountain (Roud 329) is a traditional English folk song. It is also known by many other names, like "Blackbirds and Thrushes" or "The Knife in the Window". People have collected different versions of this song from singers in England, Canada, and the USA. Many modern folk artists have also recorded it.

The English folk singer Shirley Collins made a very popular version in 1959. She likely learned it from a version collected by Cecil Sharp in Somerset. Her recording inspired many other artists. For example, the band Alt-J recorded a version for the movie Bright (2017).

About the Song's Story

This song is usually made up of two main parts. These parts are "Hares on the Mountain" and "The Knife in the Window." Sometimes, these parts are sung as separate songs. It's possible they started as two different songs that singers later combined.

Hares on the Mountain

In this part of the song, the singer imagines what would happen if young people changed into different animals or plants. Then, they describe how the opposite gender would react. It's a playful idea about chasing or interacting with each other.

For example, one line goes:

If maidens could sing like blackbirds and thrushes

How many young men would hide in the bushes?

This part often talks about hares on the mountain, sheep in the meadow, or reeds growing. A more modern version of the song says:

If all the young ladies were little white rabbits

And I was a hare, I would teach them bad habits".

This shows the fun and imaginative nature of the lyrics. Each version usually has a silly, repeating sound or phrase that changes from singer to singer.

The Knife in the Window

This section often starts with a conversation between two young people. It talks about a tricky situation where something is hard to open or undo. The song describes how one person helps the other find a way to solve the problem.

For instance, some versions mention:

Now the door it is bolted, I cannot undo it

"Oh, now" she replied, "you must put your knee to it".

This part of the song often uses the idea of a "knife in the window" to suggest finding a tool or a clever solution to a difficult situation. The song usually ends with the couple together, having overcome the small challenge.

Early Discoveries of the Song

Old Printed Versions

A tune for this song was printed in a book called The Complete Collection of Irish Music in 1902. It was titled "If All the Young Maidens were Blackbirds and Trushes." However, old small books or broadside ballads (single sheets of paper with songs printed on them) that contain the words to "Hares on the Mountain" or "The Knife in the Window" are rare.

Versions from Traditional Singers

The Roud Folk Song Index is like a big list of folk songs. It includes 27 versions of "Hares on the Mountain" collected from singers in England. Most of these came from Southern England and East Anglia. There are also 13 versions from the United States and two from Canada.

Cecil Sharp was a famous folk song collector. He found many versions in the South of England. One important version was from John Barnett in Bridgewater, Somerset, in 1906. Sharp published this version in his book Folk Songs From Somerset. This particular version became the source for many popular recordings of the song later on.

Many traditional singers have recorded versions of this song. You can find some at the British Library Sound Archive. These include a version from Yorkshire sung by Dorothy Bavey and one from Somerset sung by Charlie Showers. Other recorded versions include Jeff Wesley singing "Hares on the Mountain" and Harry List singing "Knife in the Window."

Popular Recordings

Many modern folk singers have performed "Hares on the Mountain." Shirley Collins and Davey Graham released a version in 1959. Shirley Collins's recording was based on the 1906 version collected by Cecil Sharp from John Barnett.

Several well-known musicians have recorded versions that were inspired by Shirley Collins's recording. These include Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker. The rock band All Them Witches also recorded a version on their EP Lost and Found. Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell used a changed version of the tune on their EP The North Farm Sessions (2010). The Local Honeys recorded a live version in Kentucky in 2016. Radie Peat & Daragh Lynch also recorded a popular version in 2018. The English indie rock band Alt-J recorded a variation for the 2017 movie Bright.

Other musicians have recorded different versions of the song that came from other sources. These include Steeleye Span, Frankie Armstrong, and Chris Wood with Andy Cutting.