Tabor's earliest public performances were at the Heart of England Folk Club (at the Fox and Vivian pub) in Leamington Spa in the mid 1960s. In the late 1960s an appearance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival led to folk club bookings and she contributed to various records. One of her earliest recordings was in 1972 on an anthology called Stagfolk Live. She also featured on Rosie Hardman's Firebird (1972) and The First Folk Review Record (1974). At the time she was singing purely traditional unaccompanied material but in 1976 she collaborated with Maddy Prior on the Silly Sisters album and tour, with a full band that included Nic Jones. It provided the launching pad that same year (1976) for her first album in her own right, Airs and Graces. She later joined again with Prior, this time using the name Silly Sisters for their duo. Starting in 1977 Martin Simpson joined her in the recording studio for three albums before he moved to America in 1987. (Simpson has returned from America to be a guest guitarist on albums in the 2000s.) After his departure, she started working closely with pianist Huw Warren.
In 1990, Tabor recorded an album with the folk-rock band OysterBand entitled Freedom and Rain. She went on tour with OysterBand, and the Rykodisc label published a limited-run promotional live album the following year. Many of her current fans first discovered her through this tour and album with the OysterBand. In 1992 Elvis Costello wrote "All This Useless Beauty" specifically for Tabor, and she recorded it on Angel Tiger.
Since then her solo albums have included:
A Quiet Eye (1999)
Rosa Mundi (2001)
An Echo of Hooves (2003)
At the Wood's Heart (2005)
Apples (2007)
Ashore (2011)
Ragged Kingdom is a 2011 album by June Tabor & Oysterband.
Since 2006, Tabor has also been working with Huw Warren and Iain Ballamy as Quercus.
Website: www.junetabor.co.uk
While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping
June Tabor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I keeps it in me keeping
To catch those hares that run by night
While the gamekeepers lie a sleeping
My dog amd me went out one night
For to length some education
Up jumped a hare and now right she ran
She had not gone so very far
Before something saw her running.
So on and on she loudly cried
For the minute she heard someone coming
I took out my little friend knife
And quickly I did paunch her.
She turned out one of the female kind
How glad am I, I caught her
I picked her up and placed her down
And I puts her in my keeping
I says to my dog its time to be gone
While the game-keeper lies sleeping
Away me and dog and my dog did go
Back into the town
We took that hare to a laboring man
We sold it for a crown
We went into some public house
And there I got quite mellow
For we spent that crown and another one too
Don't you think that I am a good hearted fellow
Oh I've got a dog got and a good dog too
And I keeps it in me keeping
For to catch those hares that run by night
While the gamekeeper lies sleeping
The lyrics of the song "While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping" by June Tabor revolve around hunting hares at night, which was considered illegal and could lead to serious consequences if caught by the gamekeepers. The singer of the song talks about his dog, which he keeps for the purpose of catching hares that run by night. He takes his dog out for hunting and despite the darkness and hidden dangers, they manage to catch a female hare. He is happy about the catch and takes it to a laboring man to sell it for money. Later, he spends the money in a public house and boasts about being a good-hearted fellow, while also expressing his satisfaction about outsmarting the gamekeepers.
The song reflects the theme of rebellion against authority and the thrill of breaking the law. The gamekeepers represent the law and the singer takes pride in outwitting them by hunting hares at night. However, the song also highlights the risks of illegal hunting, which could result in being caught, fined, or imprisoned. The singer's actions and attitude towards authority reflect the rebellious spirit and cunningness of the folk tradition.
June Tabor's version of the song is based on a traditional ballad, which has many versions and variations in different regions of England. The song's origin can be traced back to the 17th century, and it was popular among the farming communities. The lyrics of the song evolved over time, and different versions reflect local dialects, customs, and beliefs about hunting and law enforcement. The song's popularity declined in the late 19th century due to the introduction of game preserves and stricter law enforcement.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I've got a dog got a good dog too
I have a well-trained dog who helps me catch animals.
And I keeps it in me keeping
I keep my dog close to me and well taken care of.
To catch those hares that run by night
I use my dog's skills to catch hares when they are most active.
While the gamekeepers lie a sleeping
I take advantage of the gamekeepers' slumber to hunt without being detected.
My dog and me went out one night
One evening, my dog and I went out hunting together.
For to length some education
We went out to gain some experience in hunting.
Up jumped a hare and now right she ran
We spotted a hare and it started running away from us immediately.
Right away into my plantation
The hare ran into an area where I have crops.
She had not gone so very far
The hare had not run very far when something else frightened it.
Before something saw her running.
Before long, the hare was spotted by another creature or person.
So on and on she loudly cried
The hare kept running while making a lot of noise.
For the minute she heard someone coming
The hare knew that someone was chasing her and got scared.
I took out my little friend knife
I used a small knife to kill the hare.
And quickly I did paunch her.
I quickly gutted the hare.
She turned out one of the female kind
The hare happened to be female.
How glad am I, I caught her
I was happy that I was able to catch the hare.
I picked her up and placed her down
I picked up the dead hare and put it down.
And I puts her in my keeping
I put the hare in my possession.
I says to my dog its time to be gone
I told my dog it was time to leave and go back home.
While the game-keeper lies sleeping
We left while the gamekeeper was still sleeping to avoid getting caught.
Away me and dog and my dog did go
My dog and I left the area and went back to the town.
Back into the town
We returned to the populated area.
We took that hare to a laboring man
We gave the hare to a laborer in exchange for some money.
We sold it for a crown
The laborer paid us one pound sterling for the hare.
We went into some public house
My dog and I went to a local pub.
And there I got quite mellow
I drank some alcohol and became a bit intoxicated.
For we spent that crown and another one too
We spent the money from selling the hare plus some additional money.
Don't you think that I am a good hearted fellow
I think I am a generous person for spending money and sharing my hunting experiences with my dog.
Contributed by Sydney M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.