X:1
T:The Hunting Priest
B:Sam Henry's Songs of the People, edited by Gale Huntington
S:From Michael McCloskey ("Paul Beg") (Cluntygeragh, Dungiven); 11 Feb 1928
F:http://www.folkinfo.org/songs
M:2/2
L:1/8
K:G
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w:A doc-tor's merit no more em-ploys the bur-den of my song, sir, I'll
w:He laughs and winks at him who drinks, I dare lay fif-ty pounds, sir, And
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w:sing the life the priest en-joys with con-sti-tut-ion strong, sir,
w: in the morn he sounds his horn to 'Tal-ly ho, the hounds, sir.'
"Refrain"B,2D2D4|B,2D2D4|d2c2B2A2|G4D2D2|
w:'Tal-ly ho, tal-ly ho, tal-ly ho, the hounds, sir, And
B,2D2D2D2|B,2D2D2d2|c2B2A2F2|G4G2|]
w:in the morn he sounds his horn to 'Tal-ly ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:A doctor's merit no more employs the burden of my song, sir,
W:I'll sing the life the priest enjoys with constitution strong, sir,
W:He laughs and winks at him who drinks, I dare lay fifty pounds, sir,
W:And in the morn he sounds his horn to 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:  Tally ho, tally ho, tally ho, the hounds, sir,
W:  And in the morn he sounds his horn to 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:
W:Every morning when he rises he draws on his boots, sir,
W:And if the beagles call that way he'll join in the pursuit, sir;
W:On his well-groomed bay he leads the day at the head of all the town, sir,
W:O're headge and wall he'll risk a fall to 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:  Tally ho, ...
W:
W:Every day this priest affords to dine on boil and roast, sir,
W:And as great as any lord, he'll drink his favorite toast, sir,
W:It's his delight to drink at night, his care in punch to drown, sir,
W:And o're each glass to let it pass to 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:  Tally ho, ...
W:
W:St. Stephen's Day, that holy morn, the priest was going to mass, sir,
W:And heard the music of the horn and heard the bugle pass, sir,
W:He shut his book, his frock forsook, and he sought wider bounds, sir,
W:Set Orthodox to hunt the fox to 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:  Tally ho, ...
W:
W:Next day there was a pair to wed and Puss appeared in view, sir,
W:He threw the surplice o'er his head and bid this pair adieu, sir,
W:They both did pray that he might stay, for they were but half-bound, sir,
W:But he said that they might go home that night and 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:  Tally ho, ...
W:
W:This noble priest, he ne'er did wrong, nor ne'er knew fraud nor art, sir,
W:His life is worthy of my song, he had an honest heart, sir,
W:He ne'er distressed nor the poor oppressed, his praises I'll write down, sir,
W:Nor thought a crime at any time to 'Tally ho, the hounds, sir.'
W:  Tally ho, ...
W:
W:(note: The last line of each verse is repeated in the second line of chorus following)
W: