TAN TAN TIVVY TALLY-HO
(LeClerq)

as recorded by George Formby
October 22nd 1938


Do yer ken John Peel with his coat so grey,
He was a huntsman, so they say!
Now I'm going to tell you, one and all,
Of a hunt we had at Teddicombe Hall.

First in the field with a hunt that year,
We started off with a huntsman's cheer.
I was in charge of the the huntsman's beer,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

Sharp on the stroke of nine we went,
An hour in a lavender field we spent.
That put the dogs right off the scent,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

Tally-ho!
Then the horn began to blow,
And away we start to go
With a "Hi gee up!" and a "Hi gee whoa!"

At the head of the field was Major Snell,
He hired a horse from the Tram Hotel,
The horse wouldn't go till he rang his bell,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o! <>

Yoicks!  Yoicks!  Gee up!  Give 'er a bit!

Old Farmer Grey, who is eighty eight,
He took a leap at a five bar gate.
He landed on a spot where I can't state,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

A lady remarked as she joined the group,
"The tail of the fox I hope to scoop,
'Cause I'm very fond of foxtail soup!",
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

Up and down,
We were bobbin' up and down,
I was next to Mrs Brown,
Who was shoutin', "What ho!  She bumps, he ho!"

The hounds are away through a hedge of thorn,
But where is the blast of the huntsman's horn?
He was too busy blastin' the coat he'd torn,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

Yoicks!  Dieu!  Dieu!

A local policeman, I confess,
Joined in the hunt, and as you can guess,
He wanted the fox's name and address,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

Johnson's gee-gee went on strike,
He left him there and began to hike,
He finished the hunt on an old pushbike,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

"To the kill!",
Someone shouted, "To the kill!",
And as we got up the hill,
All the hounds had got was an old scarecrow!

The dogs were keen and deservin' praise,
They followed the fox down various ways
For eleven more months and ten more days,
Tan tan tivvy tally-'o!

Now those who are fond of a huntsman's call
Must come to the hunt down Teddicombe Hall.
Bring your own "yoicks!" and your "tally tally-'o!",
And a-hunting we will go!




(Transcribed by Peter Akers - July 2017)