The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #7295   Message #44193
Posted By: Alice
04-Nov-98 - 01:00 PM
Thread Name: Origins: I Ride An Old Paint
Subject: RE: I Ride An Old Paint
To complicate this more... there are other related songs, one called "Old Paint" (I have an old © 1934 cowboy song book with this) and also "Leavin Cheyenne". Old Paint and Dan are the names of the horses ( I've found, sometimes Dan changed to Fan) although paint refers to a type of horse's markings, as rich described. Many versions I have found capitalize Paint and Dan as proper nouns (names). Whether Old Paint is the name OR the horse is just an old paint, depends on whether you are singing "I ride an old paint" or "I'm ridin Old Paint".

In the song "Old Paint", the lyrics are simply, "Good bye, Old Paint, I'm leavin Cheyenne, I'm off to Montan', good bye, Old Paint," etc.

alice in montana