Lyr Req: white hare

Subject: white hare
From: GUEST,Sofia Jonsson
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:40 AM

Hello,

I once had a tape with a singer and a fiddler performing a song I think is called 'White hare'. I'd like to get a hold of the lyrics to that song. I can't remember but I'll have a try:

In XX town, in XX town as I have heard them say there once was a white hare that used XX to dwell She went XX the beagles and beat the bushes 'round XXXX diddli-o and diddli-ey with me right fol-de-diddle and me right fol-de-day

Well... does anyone have a clue?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From: Pene Azul
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:50 AM

You can get the lyrics on this page (click).

Jeff

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WHITE HARE (from Joseph Taylor)
From: Pene Azul
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:53 AM

THE WHITE HARE

Oh, near Howden town, near Howden town, as I have heard 'em tell,
There once was a white hare, she used there to dwell,
She'd been hunted by beagle dogs and greyhounds so fair
But never a one amongst 'em could come near this old white hare,

Chorus:
To me right fol-the-diddle-lol the right fol-the-day.
When they came to the place where the white hare used to lie,
They uncoupled the beagles, and beginning for to try,
They uncoupled the beagles and they beat the bushes round,
But there was never a white hare, not there to be found.
Says Jim Smith, the huntsman, to Tom the whipper-in,
Go down to yonder fern side to see if she be in.
Well, at that she gave a jump, my boys, and away she did run,
And yonder she is going, don't you see her, gentlemen?

Well the footmen they did run, and the horsemen they did ride,
Such holloing and shouting there was on every side,
Such holloing and shouting I never before did know,
And all the men were crying, Tally Ho! Tally Ho!

There were twenty good beagle dogs that caused her to die,
There wasn't a one amongst 'em above a foot high,
The number of these beagle dogs there never could be found,
And never better hunting upon our English ground.


A hunting song from Joseph Taylor. This was on one of the seven discs he made for the Gramophone Company. Grainger had recorded one stanza in 1906. It is interesting to note that Mr. Taylor's memory of texts was not his strong point, and in many instances he could recall few, if any, verses to a song. Fortunately this failing did not seem to extend to his memory for tunes, which, almost without exception, are among the finest ever recovered in English tradition.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From:
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 05:30 PM

I have a chorus for this that goes;

For she's faster than the black
And bonnier than the brown
And there's not a dog in England
That could ever bring her down.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From: Oversoul
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 09:44 PM

Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick did a nice version of this on their "But Two Came By" album. (Topic Records)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 10:02 PM

I should think that was the record that Sofia was thinking of.  If I remember right, the "chorus" that Jacko mentioned was recorded by the Watersons; the best I've ever heard, though, was Shirley Collins' set of Joseph Taylor's version on No Roses (1971).  Howden is in Yorkshire, of course, and Frank Kidson published a Yorkshire version of the song in Traditional Tunes (1891), well before Taylor was recorded.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From: Bearheart
Date: 07 Sep 00 - 01:53 PM

This reminds me that I've been looking for lyrics to a similar song, The Creggan White Hare. Any one know of it... could not find in the DT or forum.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 07 Sep 00 - 02:58 PM

Bearheart

Click here for an earlier thread with some links.

regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: white hare
From: Bearheart
Date: 07 Sep 00 - 07:52 PM

Thank you!