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Taoist Tale

[Tucker Zimmerman]

Tucker Zimmerman wrote Taoist Tale in 1975 and released it in 1983 on his album Word Games.

Nic Jones sang Taoist Tale in a concert, club or studio performance recorded prior to his 1982 car accident on his 2001 CD Unearthed.

Chris Wood sang The Taoist Tale with Martin Carthy singing chorus in 1998 on their album Wood – Wilson – Carthy. This recording was also included in 2009 on Chris Wood’s anthology Albion. Chris Wood commented in the original record’s sleeve notes:

I learnt this song from a tape of Nic Jones singing at Chelmsford folk club many many years ago.

Maggie Holland sang Taoist Tale in 1995 on her Rhiannon CD By Heart.

Gerry Hallom sang Taoist Tales, “a song I knew of by reputation long before I heard it courtesy of Maggie Holland”, in 1997 on his CD On the Periphery.

The new-generation Albion Band sang A Taoist Tale in 2012 on their EP Fighting Room.

Cupola:Ward sang Taoist Tale on their 2016 album Bluebell. They noted:

A song rooted in ancient tradition, about the trials of life and the world around us—written in 1975. We have married the song together with the very old and beautiful Blew Bell Hornpipe which came to us at Sidmouth Festival, via Rosie Butler-Hall, Sam Sweeney and the Three Extraordinary Collections book.

Rakoczy sang Taoist Tale in 2020 on her Talking Cat album Frontrunner, an exploration of the image of the horse in British folklore. She noted:

A song about letting go of the false sense of control many of us cling to, whilst being a warning to have kept a better grip on that wild horse you were trying to break… or is it? How so you know?

Lyrics

Chris Wood sings The Taoist Tale

There once was a farmer and he sent his son
Into the mountains with a horse to graze.
The boy fell asleep, when he awoke the horse had gone.
He came home alone and all the neighbours said:
“What bad luck,” but the farmer said
𝄆 “How do you know, how do you know.” 𝄇

The very next day the farmer sent his son
Into the mountains to try and find the runway.
The boy found the horse and seven other wild ones.
And he brought them home and all the neighbours said:
“What good luck,” but the farmer said
𝄆 “How do you know, how do you know.” 𝄇

The very next day the farmer sent his son
Into the field to tame the wild horses there
The first one he tried threw him to the ground
And he broke his arm and all the neighbours said:
“What bad luck,” but the farmer said
𝄆 “How do you know, how do you know.” 𝄇

The very next day there was a war declared
And the army man came marching through the country side.
He’s looking for men but he couldn’t take anyone
Who had a broken arm and all the neighbours said:
“What good luck,” but the farmer said
𝄆 “How do you know, how do you know.” 𝄇

Acknowledgements

Lyrics copied from the Wood – Wilson – Carthy sleeve notes. Thanks to Joe Bobbie for correcting an embarrassing error.