'Don’t Take A Fence' by Paul Curtis.
Don’t Take A Fence
My uncle John the fence died
When I heard I felt quite sorry
It was poetic justice though
As he fell off the back of a lorry
Copyright © Paul Curtis. All Rights Reserved
This is a lovely little poem which may need some explaining for non-English readers. In Wales 'John the fence' would be a man who erected fences; in England and elsewhere it would be a man who received stolen goods.
And in British English (I'm not sure about elsewhere - please let me know), something that 'fell off the back of lorry' means it was stolen so I can sell it to you cheaply!
My uncle John the fence died
When I heard I felt quite sorry
It was poetic justice though
As he fell off the back of a lorry
Copyright © Paul Curtis. All Rights Reserved
This is a lovely little poem which may need some explaining for non-English readers. In Wales 'John the fence' would be a man who erected fences; in England and elsewhere it would be a man who received stolen goods.
And in British English (I'm not sure about elsewhere - please let me know), something that 'fell off the back of lorry' means it was stolen so I can sell it to you cheaply!
I'm listening to the wonderful John Prine singing his own song, the achingly sad, Hello in There. He was past his best in this live recording but still has the power to convey a moving story. You can listen here.
There are also good versions by Bette Midler and Joan Baez.
