I miss my regular music sessions with my friend Ted Meyerscough. Before social distancing kicked in, we were going to start working on a tune known by various names, which I know as Wild Hog in Yonders Woods. It’s also called Old Lionel or sometimes Old Bangham. It seems like an appropriate tune for these strange days, since it’s about an unseen menace in the woods, with the bones of 1,000 men in its den.

I recorded it in D for Ted. He’ll figure out a guitar part and later we’ll add in some singing.

Here is one set of lyrics (there are many versions):

There’s a wild hog in yonders woods,
        Diddle oh down, diddle oh day,
There’s a wild hog in yonders woods,
        Diddle oh down, oh day.
There’s a wild hog in yonders woods,
He cuts your throat, and he drinks your blood,
        Cut him down, cut him down, kill him if you can.

There’s a wild hog in yonders mast,
Cut his way through oak and ash.

Bangum, will you huntin’ ride?
Sword and a pistol by your side.

Followed that wild boar day and night,
‘Fore he’d a-taken that wild boar’s life.

Bangum went to the wild boar’s den,
Found the bones of a thousand men.

Fought that wild boar sword and knife,
‘Fore he could take that wild boar’s life.

Fought four hours in that day,
The wild boar fled and he stumped away.

Bangum threw his wee pen knife,
That was the end of the wild boar’s life.