Trad. English folk song in 2/2 time. The song dates from the Agricultural/Industrial Revolution era, which saw agricultural labourers replaced by machines and cast into unemployment and poverty. Harsh laws relating to land & property ownership, trespass and poaching condemned many families to virtual starvation. I’ll add dry stems. Lyrics:

NOTE: Time/beat is 2/2

O, some do say the farmer’s best, but I do need say no;
If it weren’t for we poor labouring men, what would the farmer do?
He would beat up all his old stuff until some new come in
There’s never a trade in old England like we poor labouring men.

O, some do say the baker’s best, but I do need say no;
If it weren’t for we poor labouring men, what would the baker do?
He would beat up all his old stuff until some new come in
There’s never a trade in old England like we poor labouring men.

O, some do say that the butcher’s best but I do needs say no.
If it weren’t for we poor labouring men, what would the butcher do?
He would beat up all his old stuff until some new come in,
There’s never a trade in old England like we poor labouring men.

Let every true-born Englishman lift up a flowing glass,
Drink a toast to the labouring man, likewise his bonnie lass,
And when these cruel days are gone, good times will come again,
There’s never a trade in old England like we poor labouring men.