The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6139   Message #4060028
Posted By: Reinhard
19-Jun-20 - 01:52 AM
Thread Name: Tune/Lyrics: The Fox Hunt / Reindeer
Subject: RE: Tune/Lyrics: The Fox Hunt / Reindeer
George Gardiner collected Three Jolly Huntsmen from William Taylor at Peterfield Workhouse, Hampshire, in August 1908 [VWML GG/1/18/1130]. Frank Purslow included this version in 1965 in his E.F.D.S. book Marrow Bones:

Three Jolly Huntsmen

It's of three jolly huntsmen went out to hunt for fox
But where shall we find him amongst the hills and rocks?

Chorus (after each verse):
With my hip, hip, hip and my holloa
And away went the merry, merry band.
With my ran tan tan and my chivvy, chivvy chan
All over the merry, merry strand.
With my ugle, ugle, ugle, went the bugle horn,
Fal le ral, fal le ral, fal le ral le dee.
Through the woods we'll go, brave boys,
And through the woods we'll go.

The first we met was a fair maid a-combing out her locks,
She swore she saw bold Reynolds amongst the farmer's ducks.

The next we met was a farmer a-ploughing of his land,
He swore he saw bold Reynolds amongst the ewes and lambs.

And the next we met was a miller a-working of his mill,
He swore he saw bold Reynolds run over yonder hill.

And the next we met was a blind man, as blind as blind could be,
He swore he saw bold Reynolds run up a hollow tree.

And the next we met was a parson, and he was dressed in black,
He swore he saw bold Reynolds upon the huntsman's back.