hackertube.io

Jake Thackray 'Molly Metcalfe'

TallPiler · music · Watch on YouTube

Music performance & songsLanguage & linguistics

What it is

Jake Thackray performs the folk song Molly Metcalfe, which opens with an explanation of the traditional northern English sheep-counting system (yan, tan, tethera). It is a short, witty piece of British folk songwriting.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it in threads about sheep-counting systems as the famous song that explains them.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2013, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “Have you seen the famous folk song that starts with an explanation of these?”

    Famous folk song opening with an explanation of the counting system

    nkurz, 2022-01 · Recommendation · in “Yan tan tethera: A Celtic sheep-counting system”

  2. “Wonderful stuff.”

    Song containing the sheep-counting words

    I_complete_me, 2022-12 · Recommendation · in “Yan tan tethera pethera pimp – an old system for counting sheep”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: jake thackray, yan tan tethera, folk song, counting systems, british folk

Also recommended by the same people