The two families, the Watkinses and the Thiles, met after Sean Watkins and Chris Thile had mandolin lessons with the same music instructor, John Moore. Sara Watkins studied with Moore's bandmate, Dennis Caplinger. The band name came from a song by Byron Berline, who was Sara Watkins' fiddle instructor.
Nickel Creek's first performance was at That Pizza Place in Carlsbad, California in 1989 with Scott Thile, Chris's father, playing string bass. Sean Watkins was only twelve years old at the time. At the start Chris Thile played guitar and Sean Watkins played mandolin but later they decided to switch instruments. The band played many bluegrass festivals throughout the 1990s, and the band members were home-schooled to accommodate their tour schedule. Nickel Creek's first two albums were Little Cowpoke (1993) and Here to There (1997).
The group received two Grammy nominations: Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental for the song "Ode to a Butterfly". The trio was nominated at the CMA Awards for Best Vocal Group and the Horizon Award and were named one of the "Five Music Innovators of the Millennium" by TIME Magazine in May 2000. Nickel Creek's "The Lighthouse's Tale" video was nominated for a CMT "Flameworthy Video Award" for Group/Duo Video of the Year.
In 2002 the band released their fourth album, This Side, produced by Alison Krauss. It was a departure from their previous releases which were purely bluegrass. Although the core influence of bluegrass remained, other genres such as indie rock and folk rock were present in their music included cover songs Spit on a Stranger by Pavement, and Should've Known Better by Carrie Newcomer.
In 2005 the band released their fifth album, Why Should the Fire Die? with more rock and pop influences. The album debuted and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard bluegrass chart.
In late summer 2006, via Billboard and their official website, Nickel Creek announced that at the end of the year they would no longer be recording as a group and their tour, scheduled through 2007, would be their last for an indefinite period of time so band members could expand their musical horizons.
The band had plans to record its final performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in November 2007 but the idea was later "scrapped".
The band released a new album in the spring of 2014. They also played a handful of live shows and festival dates, including a concert at the Ryman Auditorium, the last venue the band played when it played its last show.
Fox
Nickel Creek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He prayed for 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
He'd many a mile to go that night before he reached the town-o
He ran till he came to the farmer's pen
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
Before I leave this town "
Said a couple of you are gonna grease my chin, before i leave this town-o
He grabbed the great goose by the neck
And he threw a duck across his back
And he didn't mind the quack quack
And the legs all dangling down-o
He didn't mind the quack quack
And the legs all dangling down-o
The old grey woman jumped out of bed
She ran to the window and popped out her head,
Crying John, John, the great goose is gone
And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
John, John, the great goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o
He ran till he came to his nice warm den
And there were the little ones, eight, nine, ten
Sayin' Daddy, Daddy, better go back again
For it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
Daddy, Daddy, go back again for it must be a mighty fine town-o
The fox and his wife, without any strife
Cut up the goose with a fork and a 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
The lyrics of the song “The Fox” by Nickel Creek revolve around the story of a fox who goes out on a chilly night and has to travel a long distance to reach the town. The fox prays for the moon to give him light and crosses a farmer’s pen where he decides to catch a goose and a duck. The fox then carries the animals on his back and continues his journey to the town. As he reaches his den, the little foxes eagerly wait for their father and the delicious supper they will have.
The song shows the cunningness of the fox and his ability to hunt for his and his family’s survival. The story also includes the reactions of the people living in the town and the fear the fox created among them. The song portrays the harsh reality of wildlife where animals have to fight for their existence every day. It also symbolizes the human desire for materialistic gains regardless of the consequences it may have on others.
Overall, the song’s lyrics are entertaining and tell a fascinating story using vivid imagery and rhythmic flow. It leaves the listener with a sense of amusement and wonder about the unpredictable ways of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
The Fox went out on a chilly night
The fox ventured out on a cold evening.
He prayed for the moon to give him light
The fox hoped the moon would light his way.
For he'd many a mile to go that night
The fox had a long journey ahead of him.
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o
He had to reach the town before his journey's end.
He ran till he came to the farmer's pen
The fox ran to the farmer's enclosure.
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
The farmer kept ducks and geese in the enclosure.
He said "a couple of you are gonna grease my chin,
The fox threatened to eat some of the birds.
Before I leave this town "
He planned to eat before continuing his journey.
Said a couple of you are gonna grease my chin, before i leave this town-o
He reiterated his desire to eat before departing.
He grabbed the great goose by the neck
The fox seized a large goose by the neck.
And he threw a duck across his back
The fox slung a duck over his shoulder.
And he didn't mind the quack quack
The fox ignored the sounds of the birds.
And the legs all dangling down-o
The birds' legs hung limply as he carried them.
He didn't mind the quack quack
The fox continued to pay no attention to the birds' noises.
And the legs all dangling down-o
The birds' legs remained limp as he carried them.
The old grey woman jumped out of bed
An older woman woke up and became alert.
She ran to the window and popped out her head,
She rushed to the nearby window and looked outside.
Crying John, John, the great goose is gone
She alerted her companion, John, that the large goose was missing.
And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
She informed John that the fox had entered the nearby town.
John, John, the great goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o
Once again, she informed John of the situation with the missing goose and the fox in town.
He ran till he came to his nice warm den
The fox returned to his cozy home.
And there were the little ones, eight, nine, ten
His offspring, numbering between eight and ten, were waiting for him.
Sayin' Daddy, Daddy, better go back again
His children urged him to return to the town.
For it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
They believed the town to be a desirable place to visit.
Daddy, Daddy, go back again for it must be a mighty fine town-o
The children persisted in their desire for him to return to the town.
The fox and his wife, without any strife
The fox and his spouse worked together without quarreling.
Cut up the goose with a fork and a knife
They used utensils to prepare and eat the large goose.
They never had such a supper in their life
The meal was the best they had ever eaten.
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
The fox's children enjoyed gnawing on the goose bones.
They never had such a supper in their life
The meal was still remarkable to them.
And the little ones chewed on the bones
The foxes' offspring were still eating the remains of the goose.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERKMAN, TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DariusOfPersia
The fox went out on a chilly night
He prayed for 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
He'd many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o
He ran till he came to the farmer's pen
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
He said "A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o
A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o"
He grabbed the grey goose by the neck
He threw a duck across his back
And he didn't mind the "quack quack"
And the legs all dangling down-o, down-o, down-o
He didn't mind the "quack quack"
And the legs all dangling down-o
Well, the old grey woman jumped out of bed
Out of the window she popped her head
Crying "John, John, the grey goose is gone!
The fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
John, John, the grey goose is gone
And the fox is on the town-o!"
He ran till he came to his nice warm den
And there were the little ones eight, nine, ten
Saying "Daddy, daddy, better go back again
It must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
Daddy, daddy, go back again
For it must be a mighty fine town-o"
The fox and his wife, without any strife
They cut up the goose with a fork and a knife
And 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
@aubreybarton6530
My dad used to play this song for me and all my siblings growing up. So many good memories! Such a great song!! Wish there was more music like this nowadays...
@huntfamily8324
Aubrey Barton me too
@huntfamily8324
Well my mom played it for me when I was like Three
@wyndee3189
When my siblings and i were seperated from our parents for a time, my aunt used to sing this song for us before she put is to bed.. Brings happy and sad memories out. Im glad that people associate this song with good things😊
@MeanBeanComedy
There's still plenty of quality bluegrass in the world. When it comes to art, anything you're looking for is being made now more than ever; you just gotta find it.
@demon_slayer2540
Me and my sister used to listen to this at the same time it was the only time we would get along
@colebrown7417
The good times! My dad used to sing and play this for us on his guitar. The happiness this song brings is immense! :)
@HunterFisherYT
I Remember Being With My Dad In His Truck And This Song Came Up On The Radio And I Loved Everything About It.
@chrishart1497
grew up with my family sitting around singin this song...Thank you.....Nickle Creek
@saigeness5272
Such a beautiful song. All these guys's songs are unbelievably beautiful