On Ilkla Moor Baht'at

"On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at" is a popular song in the county of Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Sung to the old Methodist hymn tune "Cranbrook" (composed by shoemaker Thomas Clark in 1805) the song tells of a lover courting the object of his affections, Mary Jane, on Ilkley Moor without hat (baht 'at). The singer chides the lover for his lack of headwear - for in the cold winds of Ilkley Moor this will mean his death from exposure. This will in turn require his burial, the eating of his corpse by worms, the eating of the worms by ducks and finally the eating of the ducks by the singer. A great deal about Yorkshire folk can be determined by close analysis of this song.

The song was also the inspiration for the pre-programme ident used by Yorkshire Television from 1968 to 1987.

Ilkey Moor has become so popular that the origin of the music as a hymn tune has been almost forgotten. The effect of singing traditional words such as "While Shepherds Watched" to the tune is now too comical for performance in church.

Lyrics

1. Where hast tha been sin' I saw thee, I saw thee?
On Ilkley Moor baht 'at
Where hast tha been sin' I saw thee, I saw thee?
Where hast tha been sin' I saw thee?
On Ilkley Moor baht 'at
On Ilkley Moor baht 'at
On Ilkley Moor baht 'at

2. Tha's been a-courtin' Mary Jane

3. Tha's boun' to catch thy death of cold

4. Then we shall ha' to bury thee

5. Then t' worms'll come and eat thee up

6. Then ducks'll come and eat up t' worms

7. Then we shall go and eat up t' ducks

8. Then we shall all ha' eaten thee

Some younger singers, especially in the Scouting movement, add the responses "without thy trousers on" after the fourth line of each verse, and "where the ducks play football" after the seventh. The origin of these additions is unknown, but they work just as well with the lyrics of "While Shepherds Watched".

External link

Lyrics and music