An old piper sat down to play
His voice he began to tune
The Fox-chase he heard someone say
And it echoed round the room
The Fox-chase for a hunter
To make him stand and cheer
Or is it for the little red dog
That we all fill with fear
Chorus
O fox o fox o little red fox
With your heart beating in your chest
The hounds they do all follow you
And still yopu cannot rest
The horses race after you
Their bodies all foamed with sweat
Their half-crazed masters riding them
Their minds all filled with death.
Their eyes stretch forth on the hunt
For you to kill they're set.
Not fearing for their own sweat lives
The fox they have to get.
Chorus:
The dogs they chase after you
Their tongues loll left to right
They scent their kill ahead of them
But he's not yet in sight
But as they pass the cold blackthorn
Their barks grow loud and clear
It's then the little red dog he knows
That death is crawing near
Men and hounds they gather round
But his life he fought to win
But the hunter's horn it sounded then
And they tore him limb from limb.
Old piper play your last lament
Sad sunset in your mind
For a little red dog that was torn to shreds
His life ended by mankind.