Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out

Subject: Lyr Add: FOX WENT OUT
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Aug 00 - 01:35 PM

There are lyrics in the DT under [FOXOUT5. I don't know if these will be deemed different enough to add, but here they are.

FOX WENT OUT

1. The fox went out on a chilly night,
Prayed to the moon to give him light,
For he'd many a mile to go that night,
Before he reached the town-o,
Town-o, town-o,
Before he reached the town-o.

2. He ran til he came to a great big pen
Where the ducks and the geese were put therein,
"A couple of you will grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o," (etc, as in 1)

3. He grabbed the gray goose by the neck,
Throwed a duck across his back;
He didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
And their legs a ll hanging down-o, (etc)

4. The farmer's wife jumped out of bed,
She ran to the window,stuck out her head,
Sayin' "John, John, the goose is gone,,
And the fox is on the town-o,(etc)

5. Then John went to the top of the hill,
Blowed his horn both loud and shrill,
The fox he said "I better run with my kill",
Or they'll soon be on my trail-o, (etc)

6. Well, the fox went home to his den right then,
To his little ones all, seven eight nine ten
Sayin' "Daddy,Daddy go back again,
It must be a mighty fine town-o" (etc)

mw,8/6/00

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Aug 00 - 02:28 PM

Do you have any background on that version, and a tune?  Out of interest, versions on the DT are:

The Fox  American version, with tune.
Fox Went Out (Den-O)  Copper Family version, no tune given.
The Fox (2)  No source named, no tune.
The False Fox  (14th or 15th century) no tune.
The Fox and the Goose  (14th or 15th century) no tune.

On the Forum, there are four versions (including the two 14th/15th century texts) and a fragment:  Lyr Add: Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Aug 00 - 02:46 PM

No background at all Malcolm except that it was what my father sang. He was born and raised in southern Kansas (USA), but traveled widely due to the Army and Boy Scouting. I think the lyrics may be some he learned in Scouting............I posted the tune in the Please Post Tunes here thread, under [FOXOT5.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: oggie
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 04:13 AM

I learnt a hybrid version of this at school (courtesy of the BBC 'Singing Together') which had the verses of the DT 'The Fox' but Sorcha's chorus but with the last two lines repeated as well. e.g.

Town-o. Town-o,
For he'd many miles to go that night
Before he reached the town-o.

All the best

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: Lighter
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 07:51 PM

The (Vancouver) Province (May 19, 1909), p. 6:

                                     THE GRAY FOX.
                                     (An Old Rhyme.)

An old gray fox on a moonlight night,
Stood upon his hind legs just about right,
Saying I'll have a goosie supper before I lay my body down-e-o;
Down-e-o, down-e-o, I'll have a goosie supper before I lay my body down-e-o.

He marched right off to a farmers gate,
And there spied an old gray drake;
He said, "Goosie, goosie, where's your master gone?
He's gone somewhere to the town-e-o,
Town-e-o, town-e-o, he's gone somewhere to the town-e-o.

He seized the drake right back of its neck,
And all of his cries were "Quack, quack, quack,"
And its wings went flip-flap over its back,
And its legs hung dingle, dangle down-e-o.
Down-e-o, down-e-o, and its legs hung dingle, dangle down-e-o.

He marched right off to his rocky den,
And there came young ones: eight, nine, ten.
While the daddy and the mammy were eating at the meat,
The little ones were picking at the bones-o.
Bones-o, bones-o, the little ones were picking at the bones-o.

Old Mother Fiddle-Faddle lying in bed,
Jumped up to the window and poked out her head,
Saying: "Blow, boys; blow, boys, drakie is dead,
And the old fox took him to the town-e-o.
Town-e-o, town-e-o, and the old fox took him to the town-e-o.

Up jumped John with a fair good will,
He takes down his horn and blows his fill,
Saying: "Blow, boys; blow, boys, drakie is dead.
And the old fox took him to his town-e-o,
Town-e-o, town-e-o, and the old fox took him to his town-e-o.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 06:56 PM

American versions of "The Fox" from about the late 1940s forward are likely to be, or have been influenced by, Burl Ives' widely circulated records of the song. This would apply to the "American version" that Malcolm Douglas lists as his #1.

By the way, I remember hearing from the late Jim Butler a Scots version not in the DT (tod = fox) that begins:

THE TOD
Hech, said the tod, 'tis a braw licht nicht,
The wind's in the wast and the mune shines bricht,
The wind's in the wast and the mune shines bricht,
And I'm awa tae the toon, O.

Up gat the auld wife oot o' her bed,
An' oot o' the window she cocked her auld heid,
Sayin', Eh, goodman, the gray goose is deid,
An' the tod has been i' the toon, O.

Remainder not recalled. No source known, but Jim, an avid folksong scholar, probably got it from a printed collection.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: Lighter
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 09:03 PM

Hi, Bob,

Those are the first and last stanzas of a four-stanza version printed in R. A. Smith's "The Scotish [sic] Minstrel" Vol. 5&6 (1824).

The middle stanzas:

“I was down amang yon shepherd's scroggs,
I’d like to been worried by his dogs,
But, by my sooth! I minded his hogs,
       The night I cam to the toun, O!”

He's taen the grey goose by the green sleeve,
“Eh, ye auld witch! nae langer shall ye live;
Your flesh it is tender, your banes I maun prieve,
For that I cam to the toun, O!"

BTW, your book on Paul Clayton was the key to my recent discussion of his "Jesse James" songs on another current thread.

Would appreciate your opinion.

Jon

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: Lighter
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 09:16 PM

Smith's tune is much like that used by Kerryman Sean McCarthy for his song "Mountain Tae" (1970), usually known now as "The Hills of Connemara."

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRnKAQ2NZixNzNQ_O1kY896HgFaCdqVh2

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 02:49 PM

Isn't "toon" or "town" FERME TOON", i.e. the song has a Scots origin?

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: Mrrzy
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 03:01 PM

We had this by Harry Belafonte.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: voyager
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 03:32 PM

Have fun with this -

Fox Went Out (Mudcat Thread) 1999

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: voyager
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 03:40 PM

Blue Clicky Thing doesn't work (sorry). Thread is over here -
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=13266#108337

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 07:53 PM

[^^^^^ to use the blicky for internal links you now need to paste in just from 'thread.cfm... e.g.
thread.cfm?threadid=13266#108337
=
thread.cfm?threadid=13266#108337]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AlternateLyric/Fox Went Out
From: RTim
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 08:02 PM

‘John Dead’
Chorus:
John dead
Grey goose gone home
And the fox in the way of the morning…

Who’ll dig his grave?/ [Chorus]/
Who’ll make his shroud?/ [Chorus]/
Who’ll lower him down?/ [Chorus]/
Who’ll toll his bell?/ [Chorus]/

‘John Dead’ is a traditional song from the Windward Islands in the West Indies. It was a call to reluctant whalers (like scared “geese)” to come out and face the whale - the “fox” - when the waves are whipped into a hurricane frenzy.

Tim Radford