Simon John was written by Tommy in 1967 and was one of his most often requested songs.
He got the inspiration to write the song on hearing the Irish singer, musician and storyteller Packie Byrne perform "The Shirt my Father Wore" at Dewsbury Folk Club. When we were leaving the folk club he said to me, “ I’m going to write a song about a shirt.” And a couple of weeks later, he introduced it to us.
When introducing the song, Tommy always quipped that the song was about a farm lad who was mixed up and a milkmaid who got her morals mixed up. He always also insisted that the HMM-HMM at the end of every verse be sung by all present, as it was the best part of the song.
Listen to Mick singing Young Simon John, recorded by Ray Padgett in Whitby, 2006.
MP3 file hosted on The Yorkshire Garland Group Song Database
1. Nah this here's a tale of young Simon John,
Who nivver gat donned up wi' Sunda' clooas on
He could weel afooad it, tho't'grass wor his rooits,
So he just brushed off t'pig muck an' blackened his booits.
Bur he wor partic'lar wot neet clooas he hed,
Cooazy an' cleean in his own feather bed.
Soa theer ev'ry neet lay young Simon John:
In his neet cap, an' his neet shirt, an' his long stockings on. HMM-HMM!
2. Young Simon John hed a voice like a bell,
Could a'sung in't church choir, but the' couldn't stand t'smell,
But one Christmas concert he wor asked ta sing,
An' somebody said some cleean clooas the' wad bring.
But Simon wor "praad" an' he went in a huff
An' said that he really hed cleean clooas enough,
Soa ta sing theer on t'platform stood young Simon John,
In his neet cap, an' his neet shirt, an' his long stockings on,HMM-HMM!
3. Simon got pally wi' t'milkmaid on t'farm,
T'owd farmer smiled thowt the'r'd come ta noa harm,
The'r'd lain ower t'wall, an' just giggled an' talked,
For he dardn't ask her ta goa for a walk:
But shoo hed more off, said shooed meet him at t'stile.
An' hooaped he'd put cleean clooas on, once in a while.
But when shoo gat t't'stile theer wor young Simon John,
In his neet cap, an' his neet shirt, an' his long stockings on. HMM-HMM!
4. The' must 'a' been summat in t'lad after all,
She sooin gat ta love him, pig muck an' all.
The' didn't let courting interfere wi' the' wark,
But during t'neet-time the'.r'd mony a lark.
Shoo slept in t'back bedroom, him i'tattic above,
An' shood creep upstairs just ta be wi' her love,
An jump inta bed theer wi' young Simon John,
In his neet cap, an' his neet shirt, an' his long stockings on. HMM-HMM!
5. After so many adventures in bed
Soa tame came rahnd when they hed t'get wed
Towd Farmer promised him a suit of good yarn
If he'd goa get measured int' nearest tahn.
But Simon wor gormless, got mixed up wi' date
An when suit arrived, well it wor too late
So he went t'altar, did young Simon John
Wi' his neet cap, an' his neet shirt, an' his long stockings on. HMM-HMM!
6. All t'village at wedding, they were all in good cheer
There wor plenty to eat, an' plenty o' beer,
They got a farm cottage wi' no rent to pay
An' shoo started knittin', three ounces a day.
When happy event, it wor over an' dun
They let Simon in theer, ta look at his son,
There at side of his mother lay new Simon John
Wi' his neet cap, and' his neet shirt, an' his long stockings on. HMM-HMM!
Tommy Daniel
Mick Haywood is a traditional folk singer & folk song collector who has run and organised folk clubs and festivals for many years. He now lives in Whitby, North Yorkshire.
© Copyright 2025 Mick Haywood
Website by Our Sal