# What sounds like "First of May"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sounds-like-first-of-may/573716>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 7, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sounds-like-first-of-may/573716 "2011-03-07T00:22:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sounds-like-first-of-may/573716/1 "2011-03-07T00:22:26Z")

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It’s not May, but cwPartner and I were talking about Jonathan Coulton’s “First of May.” If you haven’t heard (or seen) it, here it is (totally NSFW, and probably NSF home if you have the kids watching):

http ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-77ElyvRxI (link broken to protect those with itchy trigger fingers)

cwPartner insists that there’s some other set of lyrics for this tune. I disagree, but I said I’d indulge him and put the question out here.

So, anyone want to confirm or deny that the tune is borrowed from some other song? If it is, what’s it borrowed _from_?

Many thanks to anyone who can help.

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**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sounds-like-first-of-may/573716/2 "2011-03-07T01:13:31Z")

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[Info from JoCopedia](http://www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/index.php/First_of_May) 🙂 that might answer your question.

Perhaps cwPartner is getting mixed up between the other (unrelated) songs of the same name, and the origin of some of the lyrics from an older rhyme and poem?

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sounds-like-first-of-may/573716/3 "2011-03-07T01:39:31Z")

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The opening guitar lick sounds a lot like the Beatles’ “I’ve Got a Feeling.”