Folk

A little traditional children's verse, the melody probably came from France. Phønix learnt the song from Mia Guldhammer.

I saw a wolf, a fox, a hare
I saw them all three dance
In the winter's frosty snow
I saw a wolf, a fox, a hare
In the winter's frosty snow
I saw them all three dance

Both lyrics and music are from Himmerland, where the song was used for the Maypole tradition. The May song exists in different versions all over the Nordic countries.

Good day, good day, my honest man
May, be welcome
And may we sing here today
Enjoy such a sweet summer

We have set up a maypole
And it was set up at Whitsuntide

And it was set with permission
We found it in our forest

It was set so high up
You can see it from Skelund town

And it was set so well in the earth
It will stand for fifteen years

The man of the house is a brave man
He fills our mugs and glasses

We will all lift our hats
And wish you a pleasant night

Written for the newly built straw music house at Brenderup Højskole. An amazing and very exciting house which will be filled with music and dancing...

Originally a singing game found all over the Nordic countries.

The fox ran across the ice
The fox ran across the ice
And now we may, and now we may
Sing the song of the carpenter

See the carpenter, how he stands
How he sits and how he stands
How he sits and how he stands
And how he turns when he's dancing

The fox ran...
Sing the song of the baker

See the baker...

The fox ran...
Sing the song of the joiner

See the joiner...

The fox ran...
To sing the song of the musician...

See the musician...

The fox ran....
To sing the song of the painter.

See the painter...

Karen found this song in "Danish Folk Songs and Melodies" by A.P. Berggreen. She has then elaborated the music and lyrics to this version.

The young king saw little Karen
In secret
She shone like a star among all the little maidens
For she was promised to me in my youth

Listen, little Karen, if you will heed me
I will give you half of my kingdom

Half of the kingdom I care not much for
Give it to your young queen, let me keep my honour

Listen, little Karen, why do you make me so angry
I shall have you put in the spike barrel

And if you put me in the spike barrel
God in Heaven knows of my innocence

They put little Karen in the spike barrel
To white doves came to her with Peace of God

And the young king paled in his golden hall
To black ravens came to him with the agony of Hell

Karen learnt this song from musician Poul Lendal. It was (and is) often used for chain dancing. The last verse is after Benny E. Andersen.

I went behind a fence
Oh, so high
There I met a girl
Oh, so pretty
What a lovely hat you have
The girl said to me
The girl grabbed the hat and pulled
I pulled too
The girl pulled the hat from me
Oh, she did
All that summer and all that autumn
I had to dance without a hat

I went behind...
What a lovely coat you have...

I went behind...
What a lovely sweater you have..

I went behind...
What a lovely shirt you have...

I went behind a fence
Oh, so high
There I met a girl
Oh, so pretty
What a lovely heart you have
The girl said to me
The girl grabbed the heart and pulled
I pulled too
The girl pulled my heart from me
Oh, she did
All of that summer and all of that autumn
I had to dance without a heart

Dantz no. 25 and Proportion no. 26 from the music book of Rasmus Storm, 1760. The melodies where probably used for polsk dancing.

Karen learnt the song from the orchestra Lang Linken. Anja Præst and Jesper Vinther have added verses they picked up in the folk dancing world.

I looked to the east and I looked to the west
I looked to the south and I looked to the north
I saw so many beautiful girls dancing
But none could match the girl I saw last year

The first love will always be the best
I will never forget you my friend

You are so lovely, I adore you
It feels as if you are my love
And if I knew that you wanted me
I would come to you every other night

I haul up my sails so white
And travel out to a foreign country
On the beach you stood, my girl
While tears ran down your cheek

And if I cannot come to my love
Neither riding nor walking
I will wait until the summer
And sail across the blue sea

I looked to the east and I looked to the west
I looked to the south and I looked to the north
I saw so many beautiful girls dancing
But none could match the girl I saw last year

The first love will always be the best
I will never forget you my friend

The melody is written as a declaration of love from Anja to the bass clarinet, which has a lot in common with a friendly teddybear jogging along, but who can also bite and defend itself if necessary.

An old polsk melody, which Karen learnt from her mother and father, Birgit Mose and Keld Nørgaard.

The farmer went into the green field where he met the fox
Oh, I wish I had your fur as a lining under my hat for Christmas

But the winter is so long and so cold, and it is hard to lose fur
You will never have my fur as a lining under your hat for Christmas

A sailing ship I will give you, the best that you want
If I could only have your fur as a lining under my hat for Christmas

A sailing ship would be good to have, but I cannot sail it
You will never have my fur as a lining under your hat for Christmas

Out comes the sister of the fox so pretty, and she wants to speak to the fox
You must not sell your coat to the farmer, he cannot pay for it

The farmer pulls his gun up, and the fox is shaking in his fur
The farmer pulls his gun up and shot both the fox and the sister
You see that I got your fur as a lining under my hat for Christmas

This set has 3 melodies: Anton's Waltz, Randi's Round Riil, Auntie's Birthday Four-Set.
Jesper wrote the waltz for his 1-year old son Anton, who thinks Dad is brilliant at playing the accordion.
The other two are birthday presents composed for Jesper's sister Randi, who turned 40 in May 2007.

Karen learnt the song from Annette Møller Lendal, one of the three singers in the traditional group Lang Linken. In this version, Phønix have done a little "work" on the lyrics and the melody.

Peter the Swineherd sat crying in his chamber
Lum tra lu, tra la la la la la
Oh, I wish I could have little Kristine
Ti dalia, ti dalia ti dalia.

Kristine stood laughing behind the door
Perhaps we may be a couple at last

Oh, dearest Peter, open the door for me
I would so like to come into your chamber

But my shirt is as black as the soil outside
It hasn't been washed since last year

I'm not worried about dirt or soil
I will jump straight into the bed with you

Early morning as the day was dawning
Peter the Swineherd stood before the king

And the king called Kristine to his room
Tell me, is it true what they say about you?

Oh yes it is true that I went to his room
But no one will know what he gave to me

Oh yes it is true that I lay with him
But no one will know what I saw there

I was expecting a knight so brave
You can go with Peter to the devil

I was expecting a knight so fair
You can go with Peter and watch the pigs

He takes off his shirt so black
Underneath the blue velvet shone

I am no swineherd although it seems so
No, I am the eldest son of the royal castle of England

If you are the eldest son of the royal castle of England
You may certainly have my little Kristine!