The Fox / Traditional Folk Song / Clawhammer Banjo

3 years ago
140

The Fox is a traditional folk song, I believe it originated from England.
In the intro I set up the song with a story of how the Fox is
trying to run off with farmer John`s old grey Goose.
Will the fox get away or will farmer John get his goose back? Who are you rooting for? The Fox or mother Pitter Patter and farmer John?
We shall find out how it all ends up in this song. I play it on a mountain banjo
in the clawhammer style.

The Fox - lyrics
traditional folk song (Roud 131) from England.
Banjo Tuning - gDGBD (relative) I`m tuned much lower. Down to D

The fox went out on a hunt one night,
he 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,
he had many a mile to go that night
before he reached the town-o.

He ran till he came to a great big bin
where the ducks and the geese were put therein.
(He said) A couple of you will grease my chin
before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,
a couple of you will grease my chin
before I leave this town-o."

He grabbed the gray goose by the neck,
threw the gray goose behind his back;
he didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
and their legs all a-dangling down-o, down-o, down-o,
he didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
and their legs all a-dangling down-o.

Old Mother pitter patter jumped out of bed;
out of the window she cocked her head,
Crying, "John, John! The grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o!"
Crying, "John, John, the grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o!"

Then John he went to the top of the hill, (up went John to the top of the hill)
blowed his horn both loud and shrill,
the fox he said, "I'd better flee with my kill
He’ll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o."
The fox he said, "I'd better flee with my kill
He’ll soon be on my trail-o."

He ran till he came to his cozy den;
there were the little ones eight, nine, ten.
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o!"
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o."

Then the fox and his wife without any strife
cut up the goose with a fork and knife.
They never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o,
they never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o.

Timestamps
0:00 - Story of The Fox
0:53 - Song Starts
3:51 - Song ends, small talk, wrap up

#TheFox
#FolkSong
#ClawhammerBanjo
#MountainBanjo
#Traditional
#OldTimeMusic

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