It is sung to a version of the family of tunes later used for "Sam Hall", "Captain Kidd", and "Admiral John Benbow", which according to Roy Palmer was first printed in 1714.
[1] Sung along with Roy Bailey, this song was one the pieces selected by Tony Benn when he appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs on 15 January 1989.
[2] However, Rosselson later recorded a version of "The Diggers' Song" (under the title "You Noble Diggers All") using the traditional lyrics and tune on his album Harry's Gone Fishing.
Chumbawamba also released a version of Rosselson's composition on their 1993 single "Timebomb", sang "The Diggers' Song" in 1988 on their LP English Rebel Songs 1381–1914, and recorded it again in 2003 for the re-made CD English Rebel Songs 1381–1984.
Your houses they pull down to fright your men in town, But the gentry must come down, and the poor shall wear the crown.