Randolph 76: Bold Ranger

Version A: Sung by Mr. Ross Armstrong, Pineville, Mo., Dec. 12, 1928.

BOLD RANGER

Come all ye bold huntsmen
Who like to chase th' fox,
For I seen bold Ranger
Among th' brush and rocks.

CHORUS:
With a hoot-toot-toot sing hi-lo,
All a-mid th' merry clan,
With a ran-tan-tan sing tip-py tip-py tan,
An' a-way with a raw-hoo bow-wow-wow,
An’ a bugle song, an' a hoo-dle doo-dle doo,
An' away to th’ woods we'll run, my boys,
An' away to th' woods we'll run.

Next they come to a lady
A-combin’ out her locks,
She said she seen bold Ranger
Among the geese an’ flocks.

An’ next they come to a blind man,
As blind as he could be,
He said he seen bold Ranger
Climb up a holler tree.

An’ next they come to a ’possum,*
An’ he was coal black,
He said he seen bold Ranger
Upon a huntsman’s back.

*parson?

Version B: Contributed by Mrs. Sylvia Hill, Thayer, Mo., July 25, 1940.

The first we met was a blind man,
As blind as he could be,
He said he saw Old Reynard
As he came round the tree.

Chorus:
Oh a hip tip to and a hallow
Along the merry strand,
Oh ran dan dan and a hip tip to
Away with a raw and a bow wow wow,
Oh a riddle riddle you and a bugle's horn,
Through the woods we’ll run,
Through the woods we’ll run.

The next we met was a farmer
A-plowing of his ground,
He said he saw Old Reynard
As he went round and round.

The next we met was a padro
And he was coal black,
He said he saw Old Reynard
Upon a huntsman’s back.