Fox in the henhouse

[Verse 1] Down by the bayou where the willows lean low, There’s a fox in the shadows movin' soft and slow. He keeps to the thickets, keeps to the night, Never troubles the farmstead when the moon’s just right. [Verse 2] But someone propped the gate up, left the door swung wide, And the fox stepped easy to the warm inside. No huntin’ wind, no rustlin’ leaves, Just feathers in the lantern glow and comfort in the eaves. [Chorus] ’Cause a fox in the henhouse forgets the old rules, With no wild woods to guide him, he can turn into a fool. Take away the shadows and the chase he once knew— And he’ll think that every corner was built for him too. [Verse 3] See, the swamp taught him balance, taught him where to roam, One quick meal in season, then he slinks on home. But a roof and a larder tempt a natural-born stray, Even honest paws can wander when the wild fades away. [Bridge] Ain’t judging the fox… ain’t judging the hens… Just tellin’ how the river keeps its twists and bends. Break the old boundaries, and even good hearts stray— That’s the song the cattails been hummin’ all day. [Final Chorus] Yeah, a fox in the henhouse won’t walk the line right, When the bright open doorway steals him from the night. Keep the swamp swampy, keep the coop true— Nature sets the rhythm, and the rhythm sees you through. [Outro] And the fox slips back to the shadows he knew, Where every creature keeps the beat, the swamp drums true.