Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow

"Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow" (usually sung as "Oats and Beans and Barley Grow") is a traditional British and American folk song, 1380 in the Roud Folk Song Index.

The tune normally used goes by the name "Baltimore" and appears in Joshua Cushing's book "The Fifer's Companion" (1790). The sleevenotes to "The Wild Mountain Thyme" claim that the tune was written by John Playford (1650). According to Alice Bertha Gomme's book "The Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland" (1894), this is a "play song", in which children perform actions with the song, standing in a ring. In "Notes and Queries" 7th series, number xii (c 1870) it is discussed, but the Columbia State University website claims that the earliest known version of the words is dated 1898 (Gomme).

Recordings

The children's book character Spot the Dog had spin-off albums. "Spot's Farmyard Animals" (date unknown) contains this song.

Published Versions

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