Dartington Morris perform many dances with song accompaniment. Here is a list of those songs and song 'snatches', with the words that we sing.
Adderbury tradition
Happy Man
Sung throughout the dance
How happy's that man that's free from all fear
Who loves to make merry
Who loves to make merry
O'er a drop of good beer
Chorus
With his pipe and his friends passing hours away
Singing song after song, till he hails the new day
He can laugh dance and sing and smoke without fear
Be as happy as a king 'til he hails the new year
How happy's that man that's free from all strife
He envies no other
He envies no other
As he travels through life
Chorus
Now since we enjoy such blessings divine
Lets throw away discord
Lets throw away discord
And to mirth we'll incline
Chorus
Bampton tradition
Lumps of plum pudding
Sung before the dance
Lumps of plum pudding and pieces of pie,
Me mother she gave me for telling a lie;
She gave me so much I fear I shall die
From lumps of plum pudding and pieces of pie.
Bledington tradition
British Grenadiers
Sung before the dance
Some talk of Alexander,
And some of Hercules
Of Hector and Lysander,
And such great names as these.
But of all the world's great heroes,
There's none that can compare
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, row, row, row, row,
To the British Grenadier.
Filkins tradition
All sung at the end of the dance, with the exception of Sea-Green Sash, sung at the start.
Pretty Little Highland Mary
'Tis there that summer first unfolds her skirts,
And ‘tis there that she longest will tarry
‘Tis there that I first set admiring eyes upon
My pretty little Highland Mary
Lillibulero
There was an old woman went up in a basket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon
And where she was going , I couldn’t but ask it,
For in her hand she carries a broom
Just as the Tide was Flowing
So carelessly along did stray,
A picking of the flowers gay
So sweetly she sang a roundelay:
It was “Just as the Tide was a Flowing”.
Orange in Full Blooming
With the orange in full blooming, I’ll be returning,
When winter’s away and the spring has come in,
With pledge-ring and book I will be by your side,
And fairest of fair, I will make you my bride.
Fancy Nancy
They were singing 'lovely Nancy',
For love it is a fancy
And sweet were the notes that
I heard the small birds sing.
The Sea-Green Sash
We’ll fight our right and stand our ground,
We’ll turn the old world upside down,
Till the common man is wearer of the crown
And the sea-green sash, we’ll wear it.