Stewball

folk song / traditional

Info

Stewball (“Squball”, “Sku-ball”, or “Skewball”) was the name of an 18th-century British racehorse. (source)

Lyrics

(American folk song)

1. Old Stewball, uh huh, was a red horse, uh huh,
Old Molly, uh huh, was blue, was blue.
I put ‘em, uh huh, on the racetrack, uh huh,
Old Molly, uh huh, she flew, she flew,
She flew, man, uh huh, she flew, she flew.

2. Young ladies, uh huh, young gentlemen,uh huh,
If you want to, uh huh, have fun, have fun,
Come and go down, uh huh, to the racetrack, uh huh,
You got’ see them, uh huh, ponies run, ponies run,
Ponies run, man, uh huh, ponies run, ponies run.

3. There’s a big bell, uh huh, for to tamp on, uh huh,
For them horses, uh huh, to run, to run,
Young ladies, uh huh, young gentlemen, uh huh,
From Balti-, uh huh, -more come, -more come,
-More come, man, uh huh, -more come, -more come.

4. Way out in, uh huh, Kentucky, uh huh,
Where old Stewball, uh huh, come from, come from,
It got stamped in, uh huh, put in the paper, uh huh,
That he blew down, uh huh, in a storm, in a storm.
In a storm, man, uh huh, in a storm, in a storm.

5. Well his bridle, uh huh, was silver, uh huh,
And his saddle, uh huh, was gold, was gold,
And the price on, uh huh, his blanket, uh huh,
Hasn’t never, uh huh, been told, been told.
Been told, an, uh huh, been told, been told.

6. When the horses, uh huh, was saddled, uh huh,
And the word was, uh huh, given “Go,” given “Go,”
Old Stewball, uh huh, he shot out, uh huh,
Like an arrow, uh huh, from a bow, from a bow,
From a bow, man, uh huh, from a bow, from a bow.

7. When the old folks, uh huh, they hollered, uh huh,
And the young folks, uh huh, they bawl, they bawl,
But the li’l children, uh huh, just look-a-look, uh huh,
At the noble, uh huh, Stewball, Stewball,
Stewball, man, uh huh, Stewball, Stewball.

8. Well old Stewball, uh huh, were a-scrambling, uh huh,
Up that nine-mile, uh huh, high hill, high hill,
Well that jockey, uh huh,, looked behind him, uh huh,
And he spied old, uh huh,, Wild Bill, Wild Bill,
Wild Bill, man, uh huh, Wild Bill, Wild Bill.

9. Old Molly, uh huh, was a-climbin’, uh huh,
That great big, uh huh, long lane, uh huh,
And she said to, uh huh,, her rider, uh huh,
Can’t you slack that, uh huh, left rein, left rein,
Left rein, man, uh huh, left rein, left rein.

10. The races, uh huh, they ended, uh huh,
And the judges, uh huh, played the band, played the band.
And old Stewball, uh huh, beat Molly, uh huh,
Back to the, uh huh, grand-stand, grand-stand.
Grand-stand, man, uh huh, grand-stand, grand-stand.