Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)

Subject: Lyr Req: I've Got A Wise Old Horsey
From: Relson
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:43 PM

I received a request from an old camp friend for the words to a song we knew as "I've Got a Wise Old Horsey". I can remember some of the words, not all and have been unable to locate the song anywhere. Is anyone familiar with this song?

What I remember:

I've got a wise old horsey
And at times I've heard him say
"The trouble with the world is the folks who live in it,
They all learn to get but they never learn to give in it
You'll never build a world, a decent sort of world
You'll never build a world that way."

I know there were more words to it but memory fails me.
Thanks for any help.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I've Got A Wise Old Horsie
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 12:19 AM

Well, Google leads me to believe it's a song recorded in 1938 by Smoky Dawson, "My Wise Old Horsey." This page (click) says it was written by George Fraser in 1937.

No lyrics yet, but that's a start.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I've Got A Wise Old Horsie
From: Relson
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 10:57 AM

Thanks-that led me to a book published in the UK called "Songs of the Rising Tide" music by George Fraser (© 1938?)
If anyone has a copy and could look up the lyrics I would appreciate it.

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I've Got A Wise Old Horsie
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 05:04 PM

Smoky Dawson is Australian.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I've Got A Wise Old Horsie
From: Peace
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 05:23 PM

Music in this library.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)
From: GUEST,John Boje
Date: 11 Apr 13 - 09:07 AM

Here's what I remember from 67 years ago:

Oh I've got a wise old horsey
And times I've heard him say:
The trouble with the world is the folks that live in it
They all learn to get but they never learn to give in it
You'll never build a world, a decent sort of world,
You'll never build a world that way.

So I says to my wise old horsey
There's a horse sense in what you say.
We aint very honest and we aint very lovin'
At times we're pretty ? and at times we're pretty shovin'
But that's the way we're made, the funny way we're made
And I guess we gotta stay that way.

You're wrong, says my wise old horsey
If you're willin' God will change you right away
He'll tidy up your life so your folks won't know you
He'll help you change the world by a plan He'll show you
But you gotta be willin' and absolutely willin'
For God to hold the reins his way.

So me and my wise old horsey
We're takin' new trails today
To a brand new country you'll be proud to be in it
And He shall have dominion from sea to sea in it.
We're listenin' to God, every morning to God
And we'll soon remake the world that way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)
From: GUEST,John Devenish
Date: 11 Apr 13 - 03:33 PM

I don't know the song, but using the lyrics you gave I tracked this down with Google - could this be the missing bit?

"..at times we're rather mean and at times..."

From http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=WCHG19390401.2.4.19&cl=CL1.WCHG&e=20-09-1910-01-12-1910--10--11-byDA---0Government+House+drains--

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Apr 13 - 12:50 PM

Worldcat.org lists two copies of the sheet music.

WISE OLD HORSEY
Words and music by George M. Fraser, [ca. 1937-1938]

One copy is marked 'Theme song of the Oxford Group film "Youth Marches On.'

The other copy is marked (according to the catalog) 'Theme Song of the Oxford Group Sound Film "New Frontismen".' [sic; should be "Frontiersmen"]

IMDb.com has this comment about "Youth Marches On" (1938) – a 20-minute documentary:

"A documentary about the Oxford Group, a propagandist spiritual-movement, for young men and women, with its origins in England. Their message was a cheery exposition of brotherhood and unselfishness of one-and-all lending a helping hand to their fellow man, which would make all lives brighter and easier. A Canadian cowboy joins up and goes to London with a group of young men, and his horse, to spread the Oxford Group's gospel throughout the Empire."

George Fraser is listed as producer and co-writer of "Youth Marches On."

I couldn't find any IMDb listing for the other film.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Mar 18 - 10:06 AM

I just heard this song on the 1940 movie, Susan and God with Joan Crawford and Fredric March!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Mar 18 - 11:04 AM

There's a version on youtube at the moment, possibly a cinema disc. The words are almost identical to those given above, but the last 2 lines of each verse are repeated (and the missing word is dirty. The recording is at: Wise Old Horsey. Sadly the label is largely out of focus, so the credits aren't easily visible.

Mick

---

WISE OLD HORSEY

<whisled intro 3 bars or so>

Oh I've got a wise old horsey
And times I've heard him say:
The trouble with the world is the folks that live in it
They've all learn to get and they've never learned to give in it
  You'll never build a world, a decent sort of world,
  You'll never build a world that way.
  You'll never build a world, a decent sort of world,
  You'll never build a world that way.

So I says to my wise old horsey
There's horse sense in what you say.
We ain't very honest and we ain't very lovin'
At times we're pretty dirty, at times we're pretty shovin'
  But that's the way we're made, the funny way we're made
  And I guess we gotta stay that way.

You're wrong, says my wise old horsey
If you're willin' God'll change you right away
He'll tidy up your life so your friends won't know you
He'll help you change the world by a plan He'll show you
  But you gotta be willin' and absolutely willin'
  For God to hold the reins his way. x2

So me and my wise old horsey
We're takin' new trails today
For a brand new country you'll be proud to be in it
And He shall have dominion from sea to sea in it.
  We're listenin' to God, every morning to God
  And we'll soon remake the world that way. x2

<whistled verse>
  We're listenin' to God, every morning to God
  And we'll soon remake the world that way.


Source: Cecil Broadhurst, Columbia Private Pressing RD 87 from the film "The Frontiersman" with ukulele accompaniment

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wise Old Horsey (George Fraser)
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Mar 18 - 12:27 PM

And the tune for posterity!

Mick

---

X:1
T:Wise Old Horsey
C:George Fraser?
D:Cecil Broadhurst, Columbia Private Pressing RD 87 ("from the film "The Frontiersman" with ukulele accompaniment")
S: youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axI_ONPI-yQ
Z:MCP
L:1/4
Q:1/4=108
M:4/4
K:D
"^Whistled intro:" z/ A/ (3F/F/G/ | (3:2:2A B/ (3:2:2A F/ (3:2:2A B/ (3:2:2A F/ | A2
z/ A/ (3F/F/G/ | (3:2:2A B/ (3:2:2A F/ (3:2:2A B/ (3:2:2A F/ | A2
z"^Verse:" A || A (3:2:2F F/ F A | A F2 A | B3/2 F/ F B | A3
w: Oh| I've got a wise old|hor- sey And|times I've heard him|say
z/ F/ | (3:2:2G G/ (3:2:2G G/ G (3:2:2G G/ |F G (3:2:2A D/ (3:2:2D D/|
w: The|trou- ble with the world is the| folks that live in it. They've|
E (3:2:2E E/ E (3:2:2E D/ | (3:2:2C C/ (3:2:2D D/ (3:2:2E A,/ (3:2:2A, A,/ |
w: all learned to get and they've nev- er learned to give in it. You'll|
(3:2:2D D/ (3:2:2D D/ D3/2 E/ | (3:2:2F F/ (3:2:2F F/ F
w: nev- er build a world a|dec- ent sort of world
G | (3:2:2A A/ (3:2:2F D/ A, A, | D3
w: You'll|nev- er build a world that|way.
A, | (3:2:2D D/ (3:2:2D D/ D3/2 E/ | (3:2:2F F/ (3:2:2F F/ F
w: You'll|nev- er build a world a|dec- ent sort of world
G | (3:2:2A A/ (3:2:2F D/ A, A, | D3|]
w:You'll|nev- er build a world that|way|