Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse

Subject: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,Murray on Salt Spring
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 01:19 AM

Words, music and origins wanted of Goodbye Horse.
Perhaps of Royal Navy origin?

In the RN (1940s-1950s)a horse was a girlfriend (usually a casual one!).

He was saying goodbye to his horse,
He was saying goodbye to his horse,
And as he was saying goodbye to his horse,
He was saying goodbye to his horse,
Goodbye horse [Goodbye horse]
Goodbye horse [Goodbye horse]
He was saying goodbye to his horse,
Last night he was saying goodbye to his horse,
He was saying goodbye to his horse.

Subject: RE: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 04:01 AM

I've heard it as "The Sailor's Farewell To His Horse" ..so probably of naval origin....

Subject: RE: Goodbye Horse
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 08:52 AM

There's a second verse too.

He was saying goodbye to his horse,
He was saying goodbye to his horse,
And as he was saying goodbye to his horse,
He was saying goodbye to his horse,
Goodbye horse [Goodbye horse]
Goodbye horse [Goodbye horse]
He was saying goodbye to his horse,
Last night he was saying goodbye to his horse,
He was saying goodbye to his horse.

I believe there are others in similar vein.

Steve

Subject: RE: Goodbye Horse
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 09:09 AM

I wonder if the origin of this ditty does back to the "Dead Horse Shanty"?

"Steady, big fella!"

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Goodbye Horse
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 09:24 AM

OOOH! I hope so
And I say so!

Subject: RE: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,Mike Ballantyne
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 11:04 PM

Thanks for the info, folks. I think any connection to the Dead Horse Shanty is tenuous at best: the 'horses' in the two songs have different etymologies.
The tune, by the way, is a variant of "Bless 'em All", both verse and chorus.

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,Dr.Quelch
Date: 21 May 08 - 10:41 AM

My dear Baraclough de Mornay, it is painfully obvious the poor horse was aurally challenged!

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 May 08 - 01:18 PM

Oh the horse ran around with his foot on the ground.
The horse ran around with his foot on the ground.
Oh, the horse ran around with his foot on the ground.
Ain't this a heck of a so-aw-ong ?

Same song, second verse.
A little bit louder. A heck of a lot worse.

Oh, the horse ran around with his foot on the ground.
[etc. -- until someone slaps you silly]

(Learned it from my dad.)

Linn

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,Dirk Beavis
Date: 21 Jun 08 - 07:43 AM

The third verse is as follows

Horse , oh horse goodbye
Horse , oh horse goodbye
Goodbye my horse goodbye
Neigh, it's a farewell goodbye
A farewell goodbye
Horse, Horse my Horse
I'm off to specsavers my Horse
For your a Donkey my Horse
Call me Mr Magoo my Horse

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,the horse
Date: 12 May 11 - 03:28 AM

lol

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 12 May 11 - 04:44 AM

Not forgetting Goodbye Horses by Q Lazzarus which has a fair bit of folklore of its own, from viral YouTube, Silence of the Lambs (which I always think of as Searching for the Lambs), Jay & Silent Bob, Family Guy, numerous cover versions (variations?) etc etc. ensuring its ongoing underground status in popular culture.

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 07:00 AM

I have heard this sung for years at the Valley, home of Charlton Athletic Football Club, as well as by away fans. No change to the words and with no apparent football links or references I've never found out why. Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 03:16 PM

It is also sung by Northampton fans (especially on away games; went on for about 20mins last Saturday at Southend!). Apparently it was sung by the Cobblers way back in the 60s as well.

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST,Glassbeard in Bristol
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 07:24 PM

A splendid ditty indeed.

Lloyd George knew my father

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Sep 22 - 03:13 PM

When members of the Roger Nigel are gathered together they will oft sing a rendition of this ditty. But after the original original verse it is repeated in a semblance of various different languages, each one as suggested by a member of the ensemble. Thus:
French: "Au Revoir Gigi... etc".
German: "Auf Weidersehen Klippen-Kloppen"
And so on. When all known languages have been exhausted someone will admit defeat by calling out "Royal Navy"; and so begins the final verse:
"F**k Off Nag, F**k Off Nag".

Subject: RE: Origins/Lyrics: Goodbye Horse
From: RTim
Date: 12 Sep 22 - 11:25 PM

I was taught "Goodbye Horse" by my "mentor" Dave Williams of the Marchwood area Southampton at the Focsle Folk Club when at The Bay Tree, Southampton on Friday nights, back in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
I was a resident singer there along with Dave.......Plus - Steve Jordan (and his wife at the time - Cheryl), Geoff Jerram and two piece cum Irish band...whose name is just gone as I write. The club was run by committee with John Edgar Mann, Gordon Mignot and compere John Paddy Browne. I left there in 1973....

Tim Radford