This is my 'hero' folk song, the archetype. It has metaphor, history, humor and whimsy, and three chords.

The fox went out on a chilly 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

Many a mile to go that night

Before he reach the town-o.

He ran til he came to a great big pen,

The ducks and the geese were kept therein,

"A couple of you gonna grease my chin,

Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,

A couple of you gonna grease my chin,

Before I leave this town-o."

He grabbed the gray goose by the neck,

He threw the duck across his back,

He didn't mind the quack, quack, quack,

And the legs all dangling down-o, down-o, down-o,

He didn't mind the quack, quack, quack,

And the legs all dangling down-o.

Grandmother Pitter-Patter she popped out of bed

Out of the window she stuck her head,

She cried, "John, John! The gray goose is gone,

And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o!

John, John! The gray goose is gone,

And the fox is on the town-o!"

Then John, he went to the top of the hill,

Blew his horn both loud and shrill,

The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill,

They'll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o!"

The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill,

They'll soon be on my trail-o!"

He ran till he came to his own den,

There were the little ones, eight, nine, ten,

They said, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy better go back again,

'Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o!"

They said, "Daddy, Daddy, 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 without any 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.

The Star Spangled Banner	Frances Scott Keys	Something about Americans
You Are My Sunshine/Red River Valley/Tavern in the Town	Various	The Tooth Fairy
Puff, the Magic Dragon	Leonard Lipton & Peter Yarrow	Screwball
Hallelujah! I'm a Bum	attrib Harry McClintock	Hoboes, Bums and 78s
The Fox	trad	Early Music Memories

Song Index