Lyr Req: Pony Boy (Heath, O'Donnell)

Subject: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: Jennifer
Date: 26 Jun 99 - 05:01 PM

My mother sing a short little ditty to my son and it goes like this:

Pony boy, pony boy, won't you be my pony boy.

Is there any more to it than this, anybody know?

Thank you, J

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 99 - 05:10 PM

Hi, Jennifer -
All I know is:

Pony boy, pony boy, won't you be my pony boy.
Giddyup, giddyup, giddyup, WHOA!
My pony boy.

Seems like there should be more, and a story behind the song. I've known it all my life, but don't know where I learned it.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: JOField
Date: 26 Jun 99 - 05:30 PM

My grandmother used to sing:

Pony boy, pony boy, won't you be my pony boy?
Don't say no, here we go, [hold on to the reins?]
Marry me, carry me, off across the plains.
Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, whoa!
My pony boy.

Imagine this in the USA of 1910 or so -- pretty racy stuff. Still is, I think.

James.

Subject: Lyr Add: PONY BOY (Heath, O'Donnell)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 99 - 07:13 PM

Aha! I found it here

My Pony Boy
Words: Bobby Heath
Music: Charley O'Donnell
Producer: F. Ziegfeld, Jr.
Published in 1909

  Way out west, in a nest from the rest dwelt 
      the bestest little Broncho Boy;
  He could ride, he could glide o'er the 
      prairies like an arrow.
  Ev'ry maid in the glade, was afraid he would 
      trade his little heart away,
  So each little peach made a nice little speech 
      of love to him.
  
  Till one day, out that way, so they say, came to stay a 
      Fluffy Ruffle girl.
  She made eyes, she surprised, and he found his 
      heart was lassoed.
  When he thought he was caught, how he fought, 
      but she taught this pony boy to love.
  But he balked when she talked of a trip to New York, 
      so she sang to him:
  
  Chorus:
  Pony Boy, Pony Boy, won't you be my Tony Boy?
  Don't say no.  Here we go off across the plains;
  Marry me, carry me right away with you-
  Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, Whoa! My Pony Boy.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: gargoyle
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 12:25 AM

Ah... this is one forgotten and now restored from the annals of my childhood

Even better still... is the like the Duke "Scriptorium" AWSOME one of the best resources I have seen this year.

THANX Joe

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: Jennifer
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 07:55 PM

Thanks to each and every one of ya'll. Now when my little 3 year old fella wants me to sing it I can take it quite a bit farther!

Jennifer

Subject: Lyr Add: PONY BOY (from Bruce Springsteen)
From: GUEST,laoise feerick
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 06:37 AM

Bruce Springsteen recorded a simpler version with some traditional lyrics plus a few he made up himself on his CD HUMAN TOUCH. Apparently his grandma used to sing it to him too and when he first started having kids, it came back to him.

His version is short, sweet, and simple with no sexual ovetones. Just a nice little lullabye. He adds a verse about sleeping beneath the starry sky just in case the kid you're singing to doesn't get the hint and start yawning. His wife sings a nice harmony with him. Check it out.

His version is a little simpler than the melody I recall but no less sublime:

PONY BOY
Traditional
arrangement and added lyrics by Bruce Springsteen
Copyright 1992 Bruce Springsteen

CHORUS:

Pony Boy, Pony Boy
Won't you be my Pony Boy
Giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up Whoa
My Pony Boy

Verses:

Ride with me, ride with me
won't you take a ride with me
underneath the starry sky
My Pony Boy

O're the hills and through the trees
we'll go riding you and me
giddy-up giddy-up giddy-away
My Pony Boy

Down into the valley deep
'neath the eaves we will sleep
sky of dreams up above
My Pony Boy

You can sing the Chorus between each verse or whenever you want. He adds a nice little instrumental bridge before the final verse and chorus. It's quite sweet.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: GUEST,SueB
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 11:25 AM

Is the melody different from the verse to the chorus? I'm having trouble putting the tune I know to the words above. My dad used to sing it to me as

Pony Boy, Pony Boy
Won't you be my Pony Boy
Marry me, Carry Me
Far across the sea
Giddy-up, giddy-up
Giddy-up, giddy-up
Whoa! My Pony Boy.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: GUEST,Laoise Feerick
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 11:50 AM

TO make those lyrics work with the Melody Bruce sings it should go:

Pony Boy, Pony Boy
Won't you be my Pony Boy
Giddy-up Giddy-up Giddy Whoa
My Pony Boy

Marry Me, Marry me
Carry me far across the sea
Giddy up Giddy up Giddy Away
My Pony Boy

********


That's one way I have heard it sung. But you have other options.

Yes, Bruce seems to just sing the Chorus with a more simplified verse melody. If you try and sing the old lyrics to his tune.. it takes a little reformatting or just some clever breathing and phrasing. it can be done but it helps to have an idea of the whole melody.

However, his tune is quite charming and it is worth your time to get the lyrics you know to sync up with that one if you like it a lot. If you listen to his version, he also provides some nice finger-picking options. If you listen very closely to the picking, it gives you a little bit of a clue as to how the longer part of the verse would go. If you translate the picking to the piano, it's even more clear. If you aren't that adventurous....just strum the tune as played by Bruce. Any little kid would love the song as is without any further elaboration.


If you want me to Bruce-ify the other, older lyrics, I could. They would go something like this:


Way out west, in a nest
from the rest, dwelt the best
the bestest little Broncho Boy!
My Pony Boy

He could ride, he could ride
o'er the prairie like an arrow glide
Giddy up Giddy up Giddy up High
My Pony Boy

Ev'ry maid in the glade
was afriad that he'd trade
his little pony heart away
my pony boy


you can do it that way or just practice saying the words in the right rhythm so that the real lyrics match. They really do if you just pace them right. I suppose it helps if you heard this sung before. Othewrwise you just have to bruce-ify it. (Rhymes with "Crucify it")

If you type the Chorus the way bruce sings it, it goes like this:

Chorus:
Pony Boy, Pony Boy,
won't you be my Pony Boy?
Don't say no, here we go
off across the plains;

Marry me, carry me
right away with you across the sea
Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, Whoa!
My Pony Boy.


Does that help? If you want me to Bruce-ify the restr, let me know and I'll post it.


Laoise/Lisa
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 12:44 PM

Hmmm. I don't know that I want to buy the CD to hear the song once, but I'm going to have to figure out how to get a listen. I did hear a sound clip of part of the song at Amazon. Springsteen doesn't sing the tune I learned as a child, but it does seem to be derived from it. I see that the version I posted was produced by Flo Ziegfeld. Now I'm wondering if the Ziegfeld version is derived from a traditional song, or if the song I grew up with is derived from the Ziegfeld Follies.
Did Grandma know she was singing a Ziegfeld song? Did Ziegfeld know he was singing a Grandma song?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyrics to: Pony boy
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 01:52 PM

The song was not in one of the "Ziegfield Follies," but sung by Lillian Lorraine in the musical "Miss Innocence," starring Anna Held.
I don't believe that the song was included at the opening but added later.

My grandparents had the sheetmusic, the Heath-O'Donnell version, which is the one I remember. Traditional it ain't. (Who is this Springsteen? -he, he, he!).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 May 10 - 09:42 PM

Sheet music at Univ. Colorado, Western Trails:

My Pony Boy

The sheet music reads- "As sung by Miss Lillian Lorraine in F. Ziegfeld Jr's. Latest Triumph - Anna Held in "Miss Innocence."
Jerome H. Remick & Co. New York Detroit.

A colorful cover!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 May 10 - 09:46 PM

Oh well-
University of Colorado Digital Sheet Music Collection in google.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy
From: GUEST,julia L
Date: 26 May 10 - 04:10 PM

My mom and Grandma sang

Pony girl, pony girl, won't you be my pony girl?
Don't say no, here we go, ride across the plains.
Marry me, carry me, ride away with you
Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, whoa!
My pony girl.

yeeha!
julia L

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 May 10 - 08:53 PM

Funny how the original sheet music (posted by Joe Offer above) has "Won't you be my Tony Boy" but everybody remembers it as "...pony boy." I wonder what the significance of "Tony Boy" was?

I did find there was a trotting-horse by that name, around that time, but it's hard to tell how famous he was.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy
From: clueless don
Date: 28 May 10 - 08:49 AM

Back in 2007, I posted this on the "Jingles you remember" thread:

Back in the 1950's, there was an ad campaign for a product called "Sunny Boy". I think it was some sort of sweet drink. The jingle started out

Sunny Boy, Sunny Boy
two for a nickel
Sunny Boy

and later in the jingle there was a part that went

giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up
buuuuuuuuuuy....Bordens today!

I assume that "Sunny Boy" (or maybe it was "Sonny Boy" - can't remember at this point) was a Bordens product.

Anyway, it wasn't until decades later that I discovered that this jingle was based on an old song called "Pony Boy" (or possibly "Tony Boy".) My father-in-law would sing it to my baby daughter as he bounced her on his foot (as he sat with legs crossed, the baby on the foot of the leg on top), holding her hands. His version went

Pony Boy, Pony Boy
won't you be my Pony Boy?
Marry me, carry me, straight across the sea.
Don't say no, here we go,
giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, WHOA! (whoops!)
My Pony Boy.

On the "WHOA", he would lean my daughter backwards, much to her delight.

Google turns up slightly different lyrics to the song, but I'll stick to this version!

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 28 May 10 - 09:48 PM

Yes, I forgot to mention that my grandma and mom sang it as I was being bounced on their knees and when the Whoa! came they'd drop me down between their legs- lots of hilarity.

Fun to find the origins of the song, but even better to have it go "into the tradition"... They sang a bunch of these types of songs- probably snippets from music hall or pop stuff from early 20th century. So does it now qualify as folk music since I learned it from them with no idea of origin?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy (Heath, O'Donnell)
From: GUEST,S. Osborn
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 04:05 PM

Here's a link to the original recording, along with the cover of the sheet music and information on the recording and also with the lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZZ1ItQB76Q

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy (Heath, O'Donnell)
From: GUEST,from Dvorack music listener
Date: 26 Jul 14 - 01:05 PM

Dvorack in his New World Sympony has a melting/recurring, almost mournful theme taken from an old folk tune he most likely heard upon visiting the U.S. I learned that this recurring theme was "Pony Boy" probably composed as a memorial to the loss of a very young man who tended ponies - a very important function in the old west.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pony Boy (Heath, O'Donnell)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Jul 14 - 08:03 AM

'Pony Boy' and Dylan's 'Oxford Town' share striking similarities in terms of tempo, timing and phrasing.