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THE WILD GOOSE CHASE Sung by: W.P. Detherow Recorded in Batesville, AR, 6/25/52 Click here to listen to the original recording Honor your partner, lady on the left; All join hands and circle to the left. Break your holds and solo back With the lady in front and the gents behind. Balance eight and balance all, And swing your partner and promenade the hall. First couple out to the couple on the right And circle four. Lady doe, ladies joe, And gents you know. Turn right back in a wild goose chase, The gander pace and the possum trot. Turn right back; you've gone wrong; Four lead up and two come down, And six join hands and circle around. Lady doe and the ladies doe, And gents you know; And chicken in the bread pan picking out the dough. Break right back in a wild goose chase, The gander pace and the possum trot, Away down yonder in the blue grass lot. Turn right back; you've gone wrong; Six lead up and two come down, And eight join hands, circle around. Lady doe and the ladies doe, And gents you know. Turn right back in a wild goose chase, The gander pace and the possum trot, Away down yonder in the blue grass lot. Turn right back; you've gone wrong; Eight lead up and eight come down; All join hands and circle around. Hold your holts and balance eight; Will you all get straight. Turn your partner by the right like swinging on a gate. Swing the left hand lady with a quick change eight, With a right hand a-partner, right and left lead. First go right and then go wrong, Once and a half, just keep a-hooking on. Once and a half, and a half all around, And swing them ladies up and down. With your elbow crook and a log cane hook, And the grapevine twist and the yellow hammer nine. Hurry up, boys; hurry up, boys; And don't fall down and tramp on yourself. Swing 'em fast and swing 'em high, And I hope daylight will never come, And I hope I'll never die. (Mr. Detherow: "Now in 'Turn Back in the Wild Goose Chase,' the first couple turns back, and there's only four in the chase, and they hold their hands, but the first gent leads and he turns with his back to the others until they circle 'til their heads comes together. And then they turn right back the other way and the four leads up, and the two comes down, and this time six joins hands and circle 'round, and the ladies do-si and then they circle again, and a-break away six in a wild goose chase. The next time there's six up and two come down and eight join hands and they all get in the wild goose chase, and it's a wonderful sight. When I holler 'balance eight,' I make everybody just stop and dance; each fellow dances the best he can.") |
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All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas Back to the Song Index Back to the Wolf Collection Homepage ©Copyright 2002 Lyon College |