Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'

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Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'

05 May 09 - 01:29 PM (#2624750)
Subject: With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy..
From: Wild Goose

I've been looking for the words to a hunting song I used to sing the chorus to years ago but nobody I know now remembers the song. It was a cracking song. Parts of the chorus I remember are:

With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy jan
All over the merry merry downs I ran (my man?)
With the oogle oogle oogle of the bugle horn
............................

I remember the tune, or most of it, quite well but I can't read or write music. If anyone can help I would be very grateful.

05 May 09 - 03:00 PM (#2624818)
Subject: RE: With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy..
From: Michael Harrison

Find a web-site for Gail Davies. She wrote a really fine song about her grandmother,...ah,..."Mrs. Whitten," or something like that and in the song she has a bit of nonsense much like what you printed above. If you can email her at her site she may be able to expand on yours, verify it, etc. It's worth a shot, though - never know what might come of it. Cheers,......................mwh

05 May 09 - 03:07 PM (#2624821)
Subject: RE: With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy..
From: The Borchester Echo

Three Jolly Huntsmen

05 May 09 - 05:30 PM (#2624920)
Subject: RE: With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy..
From: Herga Kitty

I once sang this at the Four Fools festival (in Redditch) and Les Barker said it was silly.....

I've also heard it sung with an extra verse - something like, Bold Reynard wasn't there at all, it was only our old tom cat upon the garden wall.

Kitty

05 May 09 - 06:36 PM (#2624975)
Subject: RE: With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy..
From: The Borchester Echo

Yes, the lyrics are very silly, though no more so than However Many Nights Drunk or Who's The Fool Now?
Fab tune though.

05 May 09 - 07:13 PM (#2625002)
Subject: RE: With my ran tan tan and my jimmy jimmy..
From: Dave the Gnome

Mondegreen alert - After I sang this someone asked where the Scottish accorianist fitted in

With a ran-tan-tan and a Jimmy, Jimmy Shand...

:D (eG)

21 May 09 - 12:07 AM (#2637208)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOVIAL SPORTSMEN (Isle of Wight)
From: Jim Dixon

From A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect by William Henry Long (London: Reeves & Turner, 1886):

THE JOVIAL SPORTSMEN.

1. There was zome jolly sportsmen
Went out to hunt a fox,
And where d'ye think they vound him ?
Among the hills and rocks.

CHORUS: With my whoop, whoop, whoop, and my halloa!
All in this merry train;
With my ran, tan, tan, and my tivy, tivy, twang;
Right droo the woods we'll ride, brave bwoys,
Right droo the woods we'll ride.

2. The vust we met was a ploughman,
A ploughen of his land;
He swore he zid bold Kenyard
Run by on his right hand.

3. The next we met was a miller,
A peepen out o' his mill;
He swore he zid bold Renyard
Run up the yonder hill.

4. The next we met was a blind man,
As blind as he could be;
He swore he zid bold Renyard
Run up a hollow tree.

5. The next we met was a paason,
Clad in his mournen black;
He swore he zid bold Renyard
Run up the huntsman's back.

21 May 09 - 09:37 AM (#2637559)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: GUEST,GUEST - Old Rugface

Can't remember any verses; can't remember the song's title, BUT the chorous ? You don't forget that one in a hurry ! (As sung at the Nottingham

21 May 09 - 09:52 AM (#2637573)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: GUEST,old rugface

what happened to the rest of the above post ?

(As sung at the Nottingham Tradtional Music Club, circa 1972)
With a hip-hip-hip and a holler
away went the merry-merry band.
With a ran-tan-tan and a chivvy-chivvy chan
all over the merry-merry strand.
With me oogle-oogle-oogle on the bugle horn,
fol-de-rol, fol-de-rol fol-de-riddle day
and through the woods we'll go brave boys
and through the woods we'll go.

verses were just two lines I seem to remember.

21 May 09 - 12:58 PM (#2637741)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Steve Gardham

Whilst going through some 18th century garlands in the BL recently I came across a version printed by S Harward of Tewkesbury. First line 'There was three jovial Welshmen'

Chorus runs
With a hoop, hoop, come along brave boys,
This is brave news, the huntsman cries,
With my twivy, twivy twing,
Over the downs we'll ride brave boys,
Over the downs we'll ride.

I'd say it was printed about 1760 looking at the style of garland.

21 May 09 - 01:41 PM (#2637763)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Phil Edwards

With a hip-hip-hip and a holler
away went the merry-merry band.
With a ran-tan-tan and a chivvy-chivvy chan
all over the merry-merry strand.
With me oogle-oogle-oogle on the bugle horn,
fol-de-rol, fol-de-rol fol-de-riddle day
and through the woods we'll go brave boys
and through the woods we'll go.

As sung at the Nottingham Tradtional Music Club, circa 1972)

And by Alan Grace at the Beech, just the other week. He lost most of us at oogle-oogle-oogle, but we got back for the last two lines. Very fine stuff.

22 May 09 - 02:19 PM (#2638682)
Subject: Lyr Add: COME, ALL YE MERRY HUNTERS
From: Jim Dixon

From an article "The Transmission of Folk-Song" by Phillips Barry, in The Journal Of American Folk-Lore, Vol XXVII, 1914, page 71:

COME, ALL YE MERRY HUNTERS.

1. Come, all ye merry hunters who love to chase the fox,
Who love to chase Bull Reynard among the hills and rocks!

CHORUS: Then a ho ho ho, and a hi lo, along the merry stream,
Tay tay tay and a ti ti ti, and away to the rocky bow wow wow,
A yank fi fiddle and a bugle-horn,
Through the woods we'll run, brave boys, and through the woods we'll run!

2. The first they saw was a teamster a-loading up his team,
He said he saw Bull Reynard go floating up the stream.

3. The next they saw was a blind man, as blind as he could be,
He said he saw Bull Reynard run up a hollow tree.

4. The next they saw was a hunter a-winding up his horn,
He said he saw Bull Reynard run . . . through the corn.

5. The next they saw was a little boy a-feeding of his sheep,
He said he saw Bull Reynard as he lay fast asleep.

6. The next they saw was a little girl a-combing out her locks,
She said she saw Bull Reynard run through her flock of ducks.

7. The next that came was a shepherd herding of his sheep,
He said he saw Bull Reynard as he lay fast asleep.

8. The next they saw was a little boy walking down the road,
He said he saw Bull Reynard eating up a toad.

The journal of American folk-lore By American Folklore Society

22 May 09 - 02:29 PM (#2638688)
Subject: Lyr Add: THREE JOVIAL HUNTSMEN
From: Jim Dixon

From The poetry of sport by Hedley Peek (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901), page 155:

THREE JOVIAL HUNTSMEN

1. There were three jovial huntsmen. A hunting they would go,
To see whether they'd find sly Reynard, Among the woods and groves.

CHORUS: With a hoop, hoop, hoop, and a hallow,
All in this merry train,
To my ran tan too, to my chevy, chevy chase,
Away to the royal bar,
With my ugle, ugle, ugle, and the blast of the bugle horn.
To my ri fal de ra, to my diddle don,
And it's through the woods we'll run, brave boys.

2. The first was an old woman, A combing down her locks,
She said she saw bold Reynard Among the geese and ducks. Chorus.

3. The next was a miller, A grinding in his mill,
He said he saw bold Reynard, Approaching yonder hill.

4. The next it was a blind man, As blind as blind could be,
He said he heard bold Reynard Running up yonder tree.

5. The next it was a Parson, He was dressed in black,
He said he saw bold Reynard Tied to the huntsman's back.

23 May 09 - 02:43 AM (#2639085)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...
From: Rowan

When Pageant sang it we reckoned the ugle ugle ugle was best accompanied by an electric jug on the boil.

Cheers, Rowan

28 May 09 - 12:36 PM (#2642844)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Wild Goose

Many thanks for the replies I wasn't sure I would get any. The song I heard was obviously a version of these songs. I think I will be able to piece together something that will work quite well.

I know it is a bit of a silly song in some ways but I think the playfulness is at the heart of much traditional dance and song. I used to enjoy it a lot. Joy in words and sounds is deep inside. Thanks.

29 May 09 - 02:33 PM (#2643758)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Jim Dixon

From a column called "The Literary Querist" edited by Rossiter Johnson, in The Book Buyer: A Summary of American and Foreign Literature, Volume XI [New Series], February 1894-January 1895 (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894), page 399:

And from a later issue in the same volume of the same magazine (page 514):

29 May 09 - 02:42 PM (#2643763)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Jim Dixon

I should point out that this song has been assigned number 796 in the Roud Folksong Index, and the website of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library lists some 46 versions.

30 May 09 - 04:37 PM (#2644365)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE RANGER (trad. W. Va.)
From: Jim Dixon

From Folk-songs of the South By John Harrington Cox (Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1925), page 476:

THE RANGER

"RANGER" is a corruption of "Reynard." Barry (Journal, XXVII, 71) prints a Massachusetts text (as well as two stanzas from Kansas), which begins:

Bold

Baring-Gould (A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes, p. 7) prints a version beginning:

See also Alfred Williams, Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames, p. 67.

Communicated by Miss Emma Boughner, Morgantown, Monongalia County, 1917; obtained from Miss Jane Carle, Parkersburg, Wood County, who said it was crooned to her by a Dutch nurse. Title supplied.

1. The first I saw was a maiden, a-combing of her locks;
She said she saw a ranger among the hills and rocks.

CHORUS: With a root-toot-toot and a harlow, along the narrow strand,
With a rat-tat-tat and a tippe-tippe-tan, and away with a roaring boo-woo-woo,
Come a roodle-doodle-doodle and a jongo sound,
Away unto the woods they ran, brave boys, away to the woods they ran.

2. The next I saw was a teamster, a-coming with his team;
He said he saw a ranger, a-crossing the narrow stream.

3. The next I saw was a black man, as black as he could be;
He said he saw a ranger climb up the blackjack tree.

4. The next I saw was a driver, a-coming with his flock;
He said he saw a ranger crawl in behind a rock.

5. The next I saw was a white man, as white as he could be;
He said he saw a ranger climb up a white-oak tree.

6. The next I saw was a hunter, a-coming with his gun;
He said he saw a ranger and shot him as he run.

30 May 09 - 05:22 PM (#2644407)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE THREE JOLLY HUNTSMEN
From: Jim Dixon

From Shropshire Folk-lore: A Sheaf of Gleanings edited by Charlotte Sophia Burne from the collections of Georgina Frederica Jackson (London: Trübner & Co., 1883), page 557:

THE THREE JOLLY HUNTSMEN.

Two versions: the first has been traditional in my own family for at least fifty years, and Mr. Thomas Powell informed me is well-known among his kindred in South Shropshire with the single 'various reading' of ivy tree for old oak tree. The second is contributed by a Herefordshire gentleman who clearly recollects learning it from his brother about the year 1823, when the latter was at Shrewsbury School, and they met in the holidays. But the mention of 'the Downs' and the river Dee shows that this version cannot have originated in Shropshire. Air given, as sung in my own family.

1. There were three jolly huntsmen, went out to hunt the fox,
And where d' ye think they found him? Amongst the woods and rocks.

CHORUS: 'Tally-ho! Tally-ho! stick to it, my boys!' aloud the huntsman cries,
With a hip, hip, hip! and a hallo! and through the woods he flies.

2. And first they met a plough-boy, who merrily sang Tally-ho!
He swore he saw bold Reynard behind the barley-mow.

3. And now they met an old man, whose age was sixty-three.
He swore he saw bold Reynard run up the old oak tree.

4. And next they met a miller, whose mill went clickety-clack.
He swore he saw bold Reynard run up that very mill-bank.

Second Version.

1. There were three jolly huntsmen, went out to hunt a fox,
And where d' you think they found him? Behind the woods and rocks.

CHORUS: 'Tally-ho! Tally-ho!' (etc., as above).

2. First they met with a blind man, as blind as he could be.
He swore he saw poor Reynard run up a hollow tree.

3. Next they met with a lame man, as lame as he could be.
He swore he chased poor Reynard all up the river Dee.

4. Next they met with a miller, whose mill went clickety-clack.
He said he saw old Reynard run away with a goose on his back.

5. Next they met with a schoolboy, a schoolboy out of bounds.
He swore he saw poor Reynard, run all across the Downs.

6. Last they met with a soldier, a soldier dressed in red.
He swore he saw poor Reynard (Slowly and with great pathos) amongst the dogs,—quite dead!

03 Dec 10 - 04:58 AM (#3045430)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: GUEST,Marty Williams

My grandmother used to sing a folk song. The way I remember it - it went:

Once there was a blind man, as blind as he could be - said he saw Ball Rainer run up a holler tree. With a whoop and a whoop and a holler - along the merry way - ran tan tan tan tippy tippy tan - away the Royal dogs - hoot hoot horn sign fax fall diddle ding a dod d o.

25 Oct 22 - 01:05 AM (#4156272)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'BEAU REYNARD
From: GUEST,Guest:Sandra LaRouche, St. Louis, MO.

I am 83 and have looked for this song forever as my great grandmother Mary Effie Odell Etchison (English Odell and Scottish) She sang BEAU REYNARD, the beautiful fox. Our fox ran up a per'simmon tree and in the last verse it switched to POOR Reynard when the dogs catch him. I have known I had the words wrong somehow because I thought she sang "with a whoop and whoop and a holler and hurrah for the "American train" but now seeing these versions I know it wasn't an American train but as Merry, Merry train. This would have been during WWII when I was 3 and 4. My grandmother also sang it to me as we rocked and ate snacks of thinly sliced apples sprinkled with salt or oranges sparkled with sugar. Now I can sing this song. I don't sing well but I never let that stop me

25 Oct 22 - 10:30 AM (#4156307)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: r.padgett

Seem to remember a conversation on this song on mudcat elsewhere ~ most popular version current was it seems contained in More Burl Ives songs ~ three Jolly Huntsman sold in UK ~ book dated 1962

Ray

25 Oct 22 - 10:58 AM (#4156310)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Dave the Gnome

My version, stolen off a Wassailers album may years ago :-)

It was of three jolly sportsmen went out to hunt a fox
But where shall we find him amongst the trees and rocks
The first they met was a fair maid a combing of her locks
Who swore she saw bold Reynard amonst the farmer's ducks

Cho: With a hip-hip-hip of my horn-O
And away went the merry, merry band
With a ran-tan-tan and a chivy-chivy-chan
All over the merry, merry strand
Bugle-ugle-ugle went the bugle horn
Tally-ho, tally-ho, tally-ho
And through the woods we'll go, brave boys
And through the woods we'll go

The next they met was a farmer a working at his land
Who swore he saw bold Reynard amongst his ewes and lambs
The next they met was a miller a working at his mill
Who swore he saw bold Reynard run over yonder hill

Cho

The next they met was a bling man, as blind as he could be
Who swore he saw bold Reynard run up a hollow tree
The last the met was a parson and he was dressed in black
Who swore he saw bold Reynard upon the hutsman's back

Cho

Probably changed in the transition from vinyl to ear to mouth to page so apologies to all concerned!

29 Oct 22 - 02:30 PM (#4156679)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: leeneia

Thanks for sharing the memories, Sandra. If you are 83 and your great-grandmother sang it, then the song must go pretty far back.

30 Oct 22 - 05:37 AM (#4156717)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Mo the caller

Can anyone give a link to the tune, please.

30 Oct 22 - 05:42 AM (#4156718)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Dave the Gnome

This is the one I know, Mo

https://youtu.be/P6C8mhY2hrw

31 Oct 22 - 01:15 AM (#4156795)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: leeneia

I have a soft heart, and I cringed at the verses where Reynard gets killed. Finally it occurred to me that in most versions, each person says a different thing about where the fox went, and some of them are impossible. I think the humor of the song is supposed to be that the commoners are protecting the fox and giving the gullible aristocrats the runaround.

It needs an ending where they give up, baffled and still gullible.

31 Oct 22 - 03:29 AM (#4156796)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Dave the Gnome

He doesn't get killed in mine!

07 Nov 22 - 05:17 PM (#4157055)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: leeneia

That's good, Dave. I think you are on to the original intent of the song. I've taken your version, Dave, and changed it a little to make it more clear what's going on.
==========

It was of three jolly sportsmen went out to hunt a fox
But where shall we find him amongst the trees and rocks?
The first they met was a fair maid a combing of her locks
Who swore she saw bold Reynard hid amongst the pure white ducks.

Cho: With a hip-hip-hip of my horn-O
And away went the merry, merry band
With a ran-tan-tan and a chivy-chivy-chan
All over the merry, merry strand
Bugle-ugle-ugle went the bugle horn
Tally-ho, tally-ho, tally-ho
And through the woods we'll go, brave boys
And through the woods we'll go

The next they met was a farmer a working at his land
Who swore he saw bold Reynard hide amongst his snow-white lambs.
The next they met was a miller a working at his mill
Who swore he saw bold Reynard sneak o'er yonder chalky hill.

Cho

The next they met was a blind man, as blind as he could be
Who swore he saw bold Reynard run up a hollow tree.
The last they met was a parson and he was dressed in black
Who swore bold Reynard jumped on him and hid behind his back.

"How doth he hide?", the huntsmen cried, "and him so bold and bright?
For surely none would lie to us and keep him from our sight.
We've rode so far, our mounts are tired, the dogs a weary band.
For surely such a crafty fox was ne'er seen in this land."

09 Nov 22 - 03:41 AM (#4157152)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: Dave the Gnome

Very nice leeneia. Not sure we have many snow white ducks and lambs here but whatever turns you on :-D

10 Nov 22 - 02:18 PM (#4157282)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: leeneia

I'm glad you like it. "Snow white" is probably inaccurate, but "ecru" "ivory" and "beige" didn't fit the meter.

When I first read the different versions given in this thread, my mind was not prepared for an old hunting song where the people around were sympathetic to the fox. Most hunting songs seem to be "Rah! rah! whoop ti do! Let's kill something!"

It didn't help to read versions where somebody kills the fox in the last verse. Eventually I decided those verses had been added later, and what we had here was the first "be kind to animals" hunting song.

That's my view, anyway. And by the way, what a long and complicated chorus it has. Maybe people mostly liked it for the chorus.

11 Nov 22 - 09:16 AM (#4157344)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: MaJoC the Filk

> I think the humor of the song is supposed to be that the commoners are
> protecting the fox and giving the gullible aristocrats the runaround.

Yup: it's an early yuppie-and-yokel joke.

12 Nov 22 - 04:36 PM (#4157461)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: leeneia

Well, well, well. Thanks!

I've written a parody, starting with Herga Kitty's verse heard in 1972, and I sang it for dinner guests last night. They laughed a lot and joined in the chorus. Look for it under

Lyric add: fun parody of merry huntsmen

19 Nov 22 - 05:47 AM (#4158087)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'With my ran tan tan and my jimmy ...'
From: FreddyHeadey

The thread Ray mentioned 25 Oct 22 - 10:30

will be https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6139 1998-2021

There are links on that page to DT and related threads(but not this one)