The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #5642   Message #250426
Posted By: Sandy Paton
01-Jul-00 - 11:30 PM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: Horsie / Horsey Keep Your Tail Up
Subject: RE: lyr.req:Horsey keep your tail up
Childre uses two rounds of the "horsie" bit in the middle of a song based on "The Old Gray Mare." I've grabbed these words in a hurry, as I'm trying to get some real work done tonight, but here's (sort of) how it goes:

The old gray mare she ain't what she used to be,
She ain't what she used to be,
She ain't what she used to be,
Thirty-nine years ago.
Thirty-nine years ago,
Thirty-nine years ago,
The old gray mare she ain't what she used to be,
Thirty-nine years ago.

Now horses come and I say horses go,
Some are fast and some are slow.
The old gray mare she ain't much for show,
But she keeps on hoofin' along.

Refrain:
The old gray mare she's old and bent,
But she keeps on hoofin' along.
Her hair is long and her teeth are gone,
But she still eats hay and corn.
Well, her back caves in and her head hangs low,
Her knees are knocked together, but she's rarin' to go.
The old gray mare she's old and bent,
But she keeps on hoofin' along.

Well she had a little colt just last May,
He's a cute little devil and he likes to play;
Keeps that old mare ... (couldn't make out this phrase! maybe "oh, so thin")
She's a darn nice mare for the shape she's in.

(Refrain)
Horsie, keep your tail up,
Keep your tail up,
Keep your tail up,
Horsie, keep your tail up,
Why don't you make it rise?
Oh, keep it up till I get my breath,
That tail tickles me to death!
Horsie, keep your tail up,
Keep the sunshine out of my eyes.

Well, we took a little ride in the old shay,
The old gray mare she was full of hay,
She coughed and coughed and she said "nay-nay"
But we got there just the same.

(refrain - followed by a honk/whistle, honk/whistle bit)

The old gray mare she's old and bent,
But she gets there just the same.
Her hair is long and her teeth are gone,
And there's cockle-burrs in her mane.
Well, the whiffle-tree broke and she kicked straight back,
I thought, dadburn it, she would wreck the hack.
Well, the old gray mare she's old and bent,
But she keeps on hoofin' along.

Out with several "honk/whistles."






Mr. Paton, experiencing a brief but potent Senior Moment, takes a break, wipes his brow and sighs deeply, hoping he can remember the rest of the song....
[grin]
So, Sandy, this is what I gleaned from all your subsequent posts. Is it right now?
-Joe Offer, impishly-

Sandy gave up on trying to explain how it is supposed to be organized, and e-mailed me the definitive transcription, which you'll find below. I'll leave this message in so you can see how hard he had to work (or, how hard he made ME work)...
-Joe Offer-