Unveiling the Origins of a Bluegrass Anthem
Bluegrass music resonates deeply with fans worldwide, weaving through impressive music collections and enlivening festivals and concerts. Whether you’re enjoying tunes at a live show or through your headphones, the essence of it all boils down to the song itself. Every melody, even the seemingly timeless ones like Happy Birthday, originates from a creative spark. Songs, these intangible works of “intellectual property,” possess a unique power to connect with people from all walks of life, transcending boundaries and touching the soul.
This is the premise behind “Songwriter’s Backstory,” a column dedicated to exploring the stories behind beloved bluegrass songs directly from their creators. As a singer-songwriter myself, I understand the allure of a song’s narrative. There’s a special connection forged when an artist shares the inspiration behind their music. In this edition, we delve into the history of a true bluegrass standard: Fox On the Run.
From Imagination to Bluegrass Icon: The Genesis of “Fox On The Run”
Fox On the Run emerged from the imagination of British songwriter Tony Hazzard in 1968. I had the pleasure of speaking with Tony from his 4-acre farm in Cornwall, UK, a renovated 1821 barn near a tranquil river. Growing up in the countryside near Liverpool, Tony drew upon vivid imagery for his songwriting, and Fox On the Run is a testament to this.
When asked about the song’s inspiration, Tony described a powerful visual:
“The main source was an imagined scene, described in the chorus, of a hot summer’s day, a field of wheat sloping down to a river in the sunshine, and a blonde woman walking through the wheat field towards the river. Many years later, someone drove me ‘round the corner of a little country road in Cornwall and there below me was a field of reeds leading down to the River Tamar, and I said, ‘That’s just like the scene in my head when I wrote Fox On the Run.’ The second source was really just the feel of the music. I was a fan of The Band in the late 60’s, and their style was running through me at the time.”
He envisioned wheat fields, though the lyrics mention corn, a change made for lyrical flow. This imagined scene, combined with the musical influence of The Band, gave birth to Fox On the Run.
Manfred Mann’s Pop Hit and the Bluegrass Discovery
Tony initially introduced Fox On the Run to the British rock band Manfred Mann. In 1968, it became a hit for them in the UK, albeit a significantly altered version. Manfred Mann shifted the tempo and key, creating a more ballad-like rendition.
This pop version unexpectedly paved the way for the song’s bluegrass journey. Bill Emerson of The Country Gentlemen heard Manfred Mann’s Fox On the Run and recognized its potential in the bluegrass genre. He recorded it with Cliff Waldron, introducing it to The Country Gentlemen, who further popularized the song within bluegrass circles.
Tony himself was unaware of the bluegrass versions until much later:
“I discovered much later, via the internet, that The Country Gentlemen got there first. I didn’t know anything about it until long after I’d received an invitation by The Country Music Association (I think, or BMI) to an awards banquet in Nashville in 1977. I didn’t know why I’d been invited. I was moving house anyway so didn’t give it a second thought.
A few years ago, I was watching TV and saw Kris Kristofferson accepting an award at the same awards presentation to which I’d been invited all those years ago! My publishers should really have known about it and sent me over, but they didn’t. Of course, that was for the Tom T. Hall version. I wasn’t aware of him at the time, but with hindsight I realized it was a real honor for such a great songwriter as himself to have covered my song.
In 1978 in Nashville, I bumped into a guitarist who’d played on the Tom T. Hall version. Sitting at my desk on my iMac having read on a bluegrass website that their version was the first bluegrass version. Can’t remember the name of the website, but the responder to a question about Fox On the Run knew more about its life in the US than I did!”
Though initially missing his Nashville invitation, Tony eventually learned of the song’s success in the US bluegrass and country scenes, particularly through Tom T. Hall’s rendition.
Tom T. Hall’s Chart-Topping Version and Bluegrass Standard Status
In 1976, Tom T. Hall’s version of Fox On the Run soared to #9 on the US Billboard charts and #12 in Canada, solidifying the song’s popularity in North America. Its appeal within bluegrass music grew exponentially. Today, Fox On the Run is a staple at bluegrass jams and festivals, a testament to its enduring quality and its embrace by the genre.
Given its bluegrass standard status, I inquired about Tony’s familiarity with bluegrass music when he penned the song:
“Yes, my musical tastes were pretty broad when I was growing up. As a child, I was hearing ’50s singers, like Guy Mitchell, Rosemary Clooney and Perry Como, and UK Music Hall performers from the ’40s. Then it was folk/blues, like Blind Gary Davis, Woody Guthrie, Rambling Jack Elliot, Big Bill Broonzy, then The Everly’s, Little Richard, etc., but also Jimmy Reed and Ray Charles. In the ’50s in the UK, we had Johnny Duncan and his Bluegrass Boys, which I guess was a kind of crossover, smoothed-out bluegrass.
After many years, I realized that my tastes had a foundation in what I would call ‘celtic’ (Scottish and Irish) music which had been taken over to the US a long time ago to form Appalachian, bluegrass, and country music. There was often an emphasis on 4ths and 5ths with the 3rd missing, and I often use that feel when I play now.
There was a series of programs on BBC called The Transatlantic Sessions, in which folk, country, and bluegrass musicians from the US would come over to the UK and meet UK musicians. They would all stay in a hotel in Scotland and be filmed and recorded playing together; artists like Alison Krauss would play with Gaelic singers like Jule Fowlis. Not entirely bluegrass but with the origins clearly visible.
I had heard plenty of bluegrass music, but it wasn’t in my mind when I wrote Fox On the Run.”
Tony’s diverse musical background, encompassing folk, blues, and even early UK bluegrass influences, unknowingly contributed to the song’s bluegrass-friendly feel.
Evolving Versions and the Enduring Legacy
Manfred Mann’s rendition wasn’t the only adaptation of Fox On the Run. Over time, Tony himself added a verse to the song.
Manfred Mann never liked to copy a demo. He always liked to change things up. So some of the words have been changed (by Mike D’Abo, the singer), and Manfred relocated the verses into the subdominant key. Some years after his version and the bluegrass versions came out, I wrote another verse, which I sing live. I mentioned this on a bluegrass website after a bluegrass band had posted their version of FOTR. They then asked me if they could use the extra verse, to which I agreed, and they then posted a video of their new version!
These days I play it quite slowly and thoughtfully, and that works too.”
This extra verse is included in the lyrics below:
FOX ON THE RUN
Now everybody knows the reason for The Fall,
When woman tempted man in Paradise’s hall.
This woman, she tempted me and she took me for a ride,
And, like the weary fox, I need a place to hide.
CHORUS
She walked through the corn leading down to the river,
Her hair shone like gold in the hot morning sun.
She took all the love that a poor man could give her
And left him to die like a fox on the run.
*It was many years ago, but it feels like yesterday,
When she led me through the corn on that fateful summer day.
I saw the sunlight in her hair; I saw the promise in her eyes;
And I didn’t even care that her words of love were lies.
CHORUS
Come raise your glass of wine and fortify your soul;
We’ll talk about the world and the friends we used to know.
I’ll illustrate a girl who wandered through my past.
She didn’t care to stay; the picture cannot last.
CHORUS
When performing Fox On the Run today, Tony often shares anecdotes with his audience, particularly about the Manfred Mann version and the song’s unexpected journey into bluegrass. And about the girl who inspired the song? Tony chuckles, “Haha! I suppose I must have…until she abandoned me! No, this was one purely from my imagination.”
Tony reflects on the lasting impact of Fox On the Run with humility and pride:
“I eventually realized it had become a standard, and I’m very proud of that fact; the song will remain long after I’m gone, and if people think it’s an old folk song, that’s fine by me!”
From an imagined scene in the English countryside to a bluegrass standard beloved worldwide, Fox On the Run‘s journey is a testament to the power of songwriting. Tony Hazzard continues to create music and perform, his legacy secured by this timeless song. Discover more of his work at www.TonyHazzard.com.
