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The Fox Jumps Over the Parson's Gate / Tally Ho

[ Roud 1172 ; Ballad Index K263 ; trad.]

The Fox Jumps Over the Parson's Gate is a Victorian parlour song printed in a picture book by Randolph Caldecott published in 1883. Peter Bellamy sang this as title song of third solo LP, The Fox Jumps Over the Parson's Gate, accompanying himself on concertina. A.L. Lloyd commented in the album's sleeve notes:

Straight from the Bellamy family repertoire. The words from a Randolph Caldecott picture book; “the tune,” says Peter Bellamy, “from me mum.” Peter Bellamy was fascinated by the song as a nipper and continues to be so. With justification.

Fay Hield sang The Parson's Gate in 2012 on her CD with the Hurricane Party, Orfeo. She quoted Lloyd's comment in her liner notes, adding:

Our ‘B part’ comes from Rob [Harbron] from whom it flowed as smoothly as water while we were arranging the song. Genius.

Lyrics

The huntsman blows his horn in the morn,
And folks go hunting, oh!
And folks go hunting, oh!
And folks all hunting go.
But all my fancy dwells on Nancy
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!, my boys,
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!

The fox jumps over the Parson’s gate,
The hounds all after him go,
The hounds all after him go,
Yes the hounds all after him go.
But all my fancy dwells on Nancy
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!, my boys,
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!

The parson he had a pair to wed
When the hounds came full in view;
He just tossed his surplice over his head,
And bid them all adieu!
He just tossed his surplice over his head,
And bid them all adieu!
But all my fancy dwells on Nancy
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!, my boys,
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!

Now never despise the soldier lad
Though his station be but low,
His station be but low,
Though his station be but low.
For all his fancy dwells on Nancy
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!, my boys,
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!

Now pass the can around, my boys;
For we must homewards go,
For we must homewards go,
For we must homewards go.
And if you ask me of this song
The reason for to show,
I say, I don’t exactly know-ow-ow,
I don’t exactly know.
But all my fancy dwells on Nancy
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!, my boys,
So I’ll sing, Tally-ho!