The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #130229   Message #2929338
Posted By: Mrrzy
16-Jun-10 - 04:24 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Horse Named Bill - Know More??
Subject: Lyr Add: Another Horse Named Bill - Know More??
I found many, many threads that talk about the Horse Named Bill who when he ran, he couldn't stand still, which I've been re-listening to thanks to recently posted Offbeat Folksongs. The top 2 I found, Lyrics Adds both, list slightly different versions of the one by Bob Gibson on ObF. All of the others, pages of them, were various nonsense threads, but I didn't find the version I knew originally, which because it is simpler, I think is earlier. Does anybody know the progression of the different versions?
This one is by Ed McCurdy, on his Children's Songs - Greatest Hits, and is actually called I Had A Horse, which I just realized. But having gone this far I'm going on before searching for that one...

I HAD A HORSE

ED MCCURDY, CHILDREN'S SONGS - GREATEST HITS

I had a horse and his name was Bill
And when he ran he couldn't stand still
He ran away, one day, and also I ran with him.

He ran so hard that he couldn't stop
He ran into a barber shop
And sat down, with his head, on the barber's right shoulder.

In Frisco Bay there lives a whale
And she eats pork chops by the pail
By the hatbox, by the pillbox, by the hogshead, and the schooner.

Her name is Lena, she's a peach
But don't leave food within her reach
Or toothpaste, or candles, or chocolate ice cream soda.

I'd like to sit down by the brook
Take a fishing line and hook
And fish, for clams, and oranges, and bananas.

And when I see a sign so near
That says No Fishing goes on here
I hunt, for buttons, for turnips, and for candy.

See, head instead of eyeteeth, right instead of left, and nothing about eating babies or breaking the 10 commandments...