The Fox
Steeleye Span Lyrics


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Knight

You can hound me now you've found me
But I'm far more cunning than you
I'm a shy fox, I'm a sly fox
And I'll teach you a lesson or two.

I'll run you through the hawthorn hedge and tear your dogs to shreds
I'll lead you from the open fields into the flower beds
I'll lead you from the open fields into the nearest town
And take you to my hunting ground.

Run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, I'll never give in
Run, run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, run, I'll never give in.

You can hound me now you've found me
But I'm far more cunning than you
I'm a brown fox, I'm a town fox
And I'll teach you a lesson or two.

I'll introduce electric fence to every horse and hound
And watch the horses suffering upon the stony ground
I'll lead you from the open fields into the nearest town
And take you to my hunting ground.

Run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, I'll never give in
Run, run, run
Run, run, run.

Run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, I'll never give in
Run, run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, run, I'll never give in.

Run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, I'll never give in
Run, run, run, I won't give in
Run, run, run, I'll never give in.






Overall Meaning

The song "The Fox" by Steeleye Span tells the story of a fox who is being pursued by hunters and their dogs. The fox boasts about his cunning and ability to outsmart his pursuers. He describes himself as a shy and sly animal, who can lead the hunters astray and escape their grasp. The first two verses of the song describe how the fox will use his craftiness to evade capture. He'll lead the hunters through hedges and flower beds, and even electric fences, to make sure they do not catch him. The chorus emphasizes the fox's determination to never give in.


The third verse of the song describes how the fox will lead the hunters to his hunting ground, where he is the one in control. This verse highlights the fox's intelligence and his ability to outsmart his opponents. The song as a whole symbolizes the struggle of many animals to survive in the face of human intrusion and destruction of their habitat. The fox is determined to keep his freedom and refuses to let humans take it away from him.


Line by Line Meaning

You can hound me now you've found me
Now that you have discovered me, you may try to chase me down.


But I'm far more cunning than you
I am wiser and more clever than you, and I will not succumb to your tricks.


I'm a shy fox, I'm a sly fox
I am a timid yet cunning fox, able to outsmart my predators.


And I'll teach you a lesson or two.
I will show you a thing or two and make you regret the chase.


I'll run you through the hawthorn hedge and tear your dogs to shreds
I will lead you through prickly bushes and harm your hunting dogs severely.


I'll lead you from the open fields into the flower beds
I will trick you into coming to a harmless place only to lead you somewhere else.


I'll lead you from the open fields into the nearest town
I will mislead you into the closest urban area where you will not be able to continue the chase.


And take you to my hunting ground.
Once I have you in my possession, I will show you my hunting territory.


Run, run, I won't give in
I will keep running and never surrender.


Run, run, I'll never give in
I will never yield or stop running despite the chase.


I'm a brown fox, I'm a town fox
I am a reddish-brown fox, adapted to live in the town area.


I'll introduce electric fence to every horse and hound
I will use a barrier of electric shock to prevent your hunting animals from coming too close.


And watch the horses suffering upon the stony ground
I will witness the pain and difficulty your animals will face after being shocked by the fence.


Run, run, run
Continue running and never give up.


Run, run, run.
Keep running and persist in evading the chase.


Run, run, I won't give in
I refuse to surrender or stop running.


Run, run, I'll never give in
I will persist in running and never give up despite the pursuit.




Contributed by Blake H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Ben - Moderator


on Bonny Moorhen

Hi Stuart, We have corrected the description above.

Stuart Tartan


on Bonny Moorhen

The song Bonny Moorhen by Steeleye Span is a traditional Scottish ballad that tells the story of a bird, the Bonny Moorhen, and its journey through the glen and over the sea. The narrator of the song expresses affection and admiration for the bird and asks others to toast its health when they are out drinking. The Bonny Moorhen is described as having a rainbow of feathers, including blue, which is unusual for a bird, and invites it to come to the narrator. However, in the second verse, the song takes a darker turn as the narrator reveals that the bird has gone over the sea and will not return until the summer. But when it does return, only certain people will know, suggesting that not everyone will be happy about the Bonny Moorhen's return. The third verse introduces a new element to the story, two men named Ronald and Donald who are out on the fen, presumably trying to hunt or harm the bird. The narrator calls for the Bonny Moorhen to come to them for safety. Overall, the song is a mix of admiration for the beauty of nature and a warning about the dangers that can lurk in it. The Bonny Moorhen represents something pure and innocent, but there are those who would try to harm it, and the song is a call to protect it.

This description of the song completely misses the point in every way. It IS NOT about a bird.
It is an allegorical Jacobite-era song about Bonny Prince Charlie (the bonny moorhen). The colours mentioned, for instance, are the colours of the Clan Stuart tartan.

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