Martin Carthy (born May 21, 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist w… Read Full Bio ↴Martin Carthy (born May 21, 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival.

He was born in Hatfield and grew up in Hampstead, London. After training as an actor he sang in coffee bars. He became a resident at the Troubador folk club in Earls Court in the late 1950s. He joined Redd Sullivan's Thameside Four in 1961. He is a renowned solo performer of traditional songs in a very distinctive style, accompanying himself on his trusty old Martin Guitar; his style is marked by the use of alternate tunings, and a strongly percussive picking style that emphasizes the melody. His debut album, Martin Carthy, was released in 1965, and also featured Dave Swarbrick playing fiddle on some tracks, although he was not mentioned in the album's sleeve notes.

He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with The Watersons since 1972, was an early member of the UK folk rock group Steeleye Span, and was part of the innovative Brass Monkey ensemble, which mixed a range of brass instruments with Carthy's guitar and mandolin and John Kirkpatrick's accordion, melodeon and concertina.

For many years Carthy has enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick. More recently, Waterson:Carthy has provided the forum for a successful partnership with partner Norma Waterson together with their daughter Eliza Carthy.

In June 1998 he was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. He was named Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2002, and again in 2005 when he also won the award for Best Traditional Track for 'Famous Flower of Serving Men'.

Reynard the Fox
Martin Carthy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Most gentlemen take great delight
In a-hunting bold Reynard the Fox
Twas by Gaffer Ghylls I did lie
Where I lived upon fat geese and ducks
By Gaffer Ghylls I did lie
Not thinking how soon I should die
I was chased by a pack of fresh hounds
That caused me from my country to fly

Twas by Gaffer Ghylls I did lie
And I lived at a plentiful rate
Young lambs I plucked on their bones
And the farmers 'gan for me to hate
Lord Jones for the king's hounds did send
Tommy Bosun he swore I should die
And I left three brothers behind me
That loves young lambs far better than I

It's forty long miles I rambled
And I done it in three hours space
It made my old coat stand on end
As the hounds followed on me apace
For it's oftentimes I've been pursued
By hounds that would run like a cow
But in the whole course of my lifetime
Never had such a breathing till now

By Simon Sturt's I did ramble
Where the gamekeeper shot through my thigh
Oh pardon dear huntsmen and hounds
But for this fatal wound I must die
My old coat it lay close to my back
To hear how the hounds they did holler
My sweat dropped like dew in the morning
For to hear how the huntsmen did holler

It was in Stony Fields where they killed me
Oh the bloodthirsty hounds how they followed
They tore my old jacket to pieces
Good Lord how the hounds they did holler
And now that bold Reynard is ended
To the tavern they'll go down to dine

They'll dip my fore-paw in a bumper
And they'll drink their lord's health in good wine

Overall Meaning

"Reynard the Fox" is a traditional English folk song performed by Martin Carthy. The song tells the story of Reynard, a fox who is pursued by a group of hunters and hounds. The lyrics describe how Reynard lived in luxury by stealing from farmers and eating lambs, leading the farmers to despise him. However, when he is finally caught after a long chase, he pleads for mercy before ultimately being killed by the hounds. After his death, the hunters celebrate his demise by toasting his paw and drinking wine in honor of their victory over the fox.

The song's lyrics can be interpreted in various ways. Some see it as a metaphor for the oppression of the poor by the rich, with Reynard symbolizing the proletariat and the hunters representing the bourgeois elite. Others view it as a commentary on the dangers of leading a life of crime and the inevitability of punishment for one's misdeeds. Still, others see it as a cautionary tale about the corrupting influence of wealth and power.

Overall, "Reynard the Fox" is a powerful and evocative song that has resonated with audiences for centuries. Its haunting melody and vivid lyrics offer a powerful rumination on themes of justice, morality, and the nature of power.

Line by Line Meaning

Most gentlemen take great delight
Many wealthy men enjoy the sport of hunting

In a-hunting bold Reynard the Fox
Specifically, these men like to hunt the infamous fox named Reynard

Twas by Gaffer Ghylls I did lie
I was staying at Gaffer Ghylls' place

Where I lived upon fat geese and ducks
While I was there, I ate plenty of geese and ducks

By Gaffer Ghylls I did lie Not thinking how soon I should die
It was at Gaffer Ghylls' that I was unaware of my impending death

I was chased by a pack of fresh hounds That caused me from my country to fly
One day, I was pursued by a group of new and energetic dogs and had to flee the area

And I lived at a plentiful rate Young lambs I plucked on their bones And the farmers 'gan for me to hate
Back at Gaffer Ghylls', I enjoyed a rich lifestyle, even stealing and eating young sheep. This angered farmers, who began to dislike me

Lord Jones for the king's hounds did send Tommy Bosun he swore I should die And I left three brothers behind me That loves young lambs far better than I
As a result of my thievery, Lord Jones (working for the king's hunting dogs) sent Tommy Bosun after me with orders to kill me. I had three brothers who shared my appetite for young sheep

It's forty long miles I rambled And I done it in three hours space It made my old coat stand on end As the hounds followed on me apace
I ran for forty miles, covering the distance in just three hours as the dogs chased me. I was so scared that the fur on my coat stood up on end

For it's oftentimes I've been pursued By hounds that would run like a cow But in the whole course of my lifetime Never had such a breathing till now
I had been chased by many dogs before, but none were as fierce and tireless as these. I had never been so out of breath in my life

By Simon Sturt's I did ramble Where the gamekeeper shot through my thigh Oh pardon dear huntsmen and hounds But for this fatal wound I must die
While fleeing, I stumbled upon Simon Sturt's place and was shot in the leg by the gamekeeper. I ask that the hunters and their dogs forgive me for my crimes, but I know this injury will be fatal

My old coat it lay close to my back To hear how the hounds they did holler My sweat dropped like dew in the morning For to hear how the huntsmen did holler
As the hounds closed in on me, my ragged coat clung tight to my back. I was sweating profusely, and the sound of the hounds and hunters shouting was overwhelming

It was in Stony Fields where they killed me Oh the bloodthirsty hounds how they followed They tore my old jacket to pieces Good Lord how the hounds they did holler
Eventually, the dogs caught up to me in Stony Fields and mauled me to death. They shredded my coat and the sound of their baying was deafening

And now that bold Reynard is ended To the tavern they'll go down to dine They'll dip my fore-paw in a bumper And they'll drink their lord's health in good wine
With Reynard, the notorious thief and fox, finally dead, the hunters celebrate by going to the tavern to feast. They even take one of my paws and toast their lord's health with a glass of fine wine

Contributed by Vivian B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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