Great song, known it [& him] years.
'Fode, or 'foad' is a Black Country corruption of the word 'fold'.Many families kept the odd pig or even a few sheep in the back yard between the house and the multi purpose outbuilding known as a brewhouse, washhouse, privy, coal store and adventure playground - as it was for us kids. It came to mean, certainly by the 60's, an enclosed or gated area at the back of the house - a Black Country patio, if you like. 'Jack rap the door' I remember as the anti social activity known elsewhere as 'knock down ginger'.