Next horse I ride on, The
AKA | |
First Published | 1905 |
Lyrics | Fred Murray | Music | George Everhard | Roud | RN24625 |
Music Hall Performers | Vesta Tilley |
Folk performances | Source Singers Simon, Marilyn 1959 USA : California |
Father came into some money about a week ago Told me to learn to ride was the proper thing, you know From the coal-shop round the corner he went and hired a nag Dressed me up in a riding habit and told me to hunt the stag Father got a dozen men to help me on the filly What a job they had, I was fairly mad Sat me on the wrong way, and I did feel awful silly I was looking at his tail and didn't know what to do. The next horse I ride on, I'm going to be tied on There was I, jumping the rails Over the hills and over the dales I shouted, 'Tally-Ho', the gee-gee gave a cough It took a long time to get me on, but not so long to come off. I went dashing through the village and bumped a brewers dray Killed about a dozen chickens, so now they cannot lay Then a policemen blew his whistle... he was a silly goat As we charged him in the rummy the whistle went down his throat Then the gee-gee saw a ditch, and soon we both were in it Fell with such a thud, my mouth was full of mud Then some yokels came along, in less than half a minute Dragged me out - stuck me on the horrible horse again. When the yokels stuck me on it, this time I had the rein Then they gave the horse a wallop and off we went again My left foot was in the stirrup so I began to bump And the more I tried to bump the saddle the higher he tried to jump Fifty miles an hour and over everything we rattled Then, oh dear me, he threw me up a tree Took his hook and left me there so I was fairly baffled Where he's gone to I don't know bit I've got to walk it home.
Vesta Tilley (1864-1952) had a big hit with this song on both sides of the Atlantic in 1908. The lyrics were written by the prolific Fred Murray
In one family at least , the chorus became something of a nursery rhyme . It was collected in 1959 by Audry L. Kegel from the singing of Marilyn Simon, who remembered it from her mother-in-law, a recording of Marilyn singing it is available here.
A recording from 1906, on Edison wax cylinder, made by the actress Helen Trix (1886-1951): |
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics and sheet music: monologues.co.uk
- UCLA ethnomusicology archive
Helen Trix sings it: