A hunting song from the point of view of the hunted, this is written by our good friend & musical hero, Dave Webber. It perfectly captures everything the fox has to lose in the chase that some consider a sport. We’ve paired it with a traditional jig we know as Johnny O’Leary’s.
lyrics
When the owl is on the wing the fox is on the paw,
It's down into the farmyard to pay his friends a call,
He'll grab the old drake by the back or maybe a fat old hen,
Or even take a new-born lamb from its mother in the pen.
Most times he hunts through hunger but sometimes its just for fun,
But he is never hunting when the farmer's got his gun,
He'll sit there in the leafy copse and mingle red with green,
His nerves are of the toughest steel and all his wits are keen.
He's woken by a distant sound all on an Autumn morn,
His ears are cocked aloof as he hears yon huntsman's horn,
He's thinking of his vixen and the cubs as she must mind,
He'll have to draw yon pack away afore they make a find.
So its up to break his cover and toward the fields so green,
And out into the open where he knows he can be seen,
He hears twelve couple speaking and the huntsman sound a view,
And the weary feeling in his bones tells him his reign is through.
Now when Charlie hunted rabbits and his partridge and his hares,
He went out all on his own, he never went in pairs,
He didn't need no horses nor no pack of wild hounds too,
'Cause of hunting, Mr. Huntsman, he knows twice as much as you.
Now Charlie he was six year old afore he fell to hounds,
And hundreds were the times he'd killed while on his farmyard rounds,
But though his mask and brush have gone, in a trophy room to lay,
Don't ever forget the fifty times that Charlie got away.
credits
from What Holds The World Together,
released July 21, 2022
Words & song melody by Dave Webber
Arrangement by The Wilderness Yet
Instrumental jig is traditional (Johnny O'Leary's)
The Wilderness Yet combines the acclaimed talents of folksinger Rosie Hodgson, traditional fiddler Rowan Piggott, and
guitarist-flautist Philippe Barnes. Independently, they have earned audiences’ esteem as consummate musicians; together, they weave a tapestry of traditional & self-penned songs with a charm and familarity that is usually only found in seasoned line-ups....more
"The blend of songs and tunes fit perfectly, each combination revealing a consummate skill...a debut long waited for; many will be pleased to hear of its arrival, and none will be disappointed..." The Wilderness Yet
"Even the bees themselves are almost present, as their buzz is imitated by a shruti drone... The bees are a vehicle for optimistic action and a means for folk to be refocused to its political roots." The Wilderness Yet
Thanks for the beautiful music Karine and Dave. it's been a while since I've felt so emotional listening to a new album. Every lyric is so beautifully supported by the piano parts. Laura-Beth Salter
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020