Yorkshire farmer releases Billy Joel-inspired song with strong message
23rd April 2025
Yorkshire farmer Tom Carlisle has been inspired by Billy Joel to release a song highlighting the pressing issues that British farmers are currently facing.
Mr Carlisle put together most of the farming headlines from 2025, creating another viral hit.
He explained: “I heard the original Billy Joel song on the radio and thought to myself that it would be quite funny and interesting to write a modernised version of it with some of the news headlines from the farming industry.
“I had a bit of a think, and most of the pressures that farmers are facing just came off the top of my head. They are, among others, threats from bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, TB as well as the red tape, obviously the family farm tax, and then everything else that has been an issue for us in 2025.
“I put it together in the same sort of format that Billy Joel does, so listing things very quickly, very fast. Some of those issues are quite obvious to the farming community, but if the general public listens to the song, they may look into it closer. That’s the beauty behind it.
“Maybe people aren’t aware of the pressures that farmers are under, so we can encourage them to look into them. We, farmers, are really trying to make a stand.”
Mr Carlisle added that he received “fantastic” feedback from fellow farmers and friends. He was also recognised for raising awareness of farming issues in the wider community.
“I think that because the message has been brought in a song format, it’s more appealing to people than a simple talking video. I hope that I have done the job and helped raise awareness.
Watch the video:
“You never know, it might have found its way to the people who are making those decisions and make them realise that they should look after the farmers slightly better,” the Yorkshire farmer added.
‘Only Fools and Sheep’
Earlier this year, Mr Carlisle shared a track inspired by the theme song for Only Fools and Horses.
He told BBC Radio York that he had the idea for the song when he was writing his list of supplies for lambing: “I was reading through this list, and I was thinking ‘stomach tube, vet lube’ – that sounds a bit like the Only Fools and Horses introduction where Del Boy’s listing all the strange things that he’s selling on his dodgy market stall.”
The farmer added that he wanted to “raise a smile on people’s faces”.
The song begins: “We’ve got some glucose, Zactran, Betamox and Metacam, long gloves, vet lube, iodine and stomach tube. Blue spray, lots of hay, calcium to save the day.’
Followed later on by: “Cause we get no sleep, we’re lambing sheep; get no sleep, we’re lambing sheep.”
Watch the video:
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