Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains

Subject: Lyr Add: PLANTONIO THE PRIDE OF THE PLAINS
From: kendall
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 07:44 PM

You look at the picture with a wondering eye
And then at the arrow that hangs by its side
You ask for the story you know there is one
Of a horse named Plantonio the story's begun.

The west was new and settlers were scarce
Indians on the war path were savage and fierce
Scouts were sent out every day from the fort
But they never returned and we knew they were lost.

Then one day the Captain said "Someone must go,
For help to the border of New Mexico"
A dozen brave men raised a hand and said "Here"
But the Captain just spied a black horse standing near.

Plantonio was beside me with his nose in my hand
The Captain said "Your horse is the best in the land.
You're best for the long ride, you're the lightest man here,
On the back of that Mustang you've nothing to fear."

I shook all their hands and mounted my horse
Sped down the dark pathway and turned his head north
He answered each touch with a toss of his head
His black body lengthened as onward he sped.

Plantonio kept that pace all through the night
Til the sun in the east was beginning to light
We were beating the redskins the story was plain
And the arrows fell round us like showers of rain.

We were beating the redskins the story was plain
Then, in my leg I felt a sharp pain
An arrow brought blood from Plantonio's side
But he never once shortened that powerful stride

Plontonio old fellow I knew he was hurt
We dashed up the trail and into the fort
On many fine horses I've since drawn a rein
But none like Plantonio the pride of the plains.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: kendall
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 07:46 PM

I've also heard it sung Potanio, but I'm sure Plantonio is right.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: Artful Codger
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 01:01 AM

What was the source for your version, and did you make alterations?

I'm sure this song has been treated in previous threads--you've even posted to them previously. The song pops up in nearly every collection of cowboy songs. It's difficult to search because there is no consistency in the horse's name: Platonia, Pattanio, Patonia, ... You pretty much have to search both with and without the L or (first) N, switching A's and O's, and even using double T's. I wouldn't be surprised if there was even a "Pantaloona" and a "Platoonio".

There is no "right". My personal belief, based on the frequency of spellings I've seen, is that the name was originally Platonio/a, derived from Plato[n] rather than Antonio. This is the most central form, and it would be quite natural for Mexican-influenced, less philosophical cowboys to mix it with Antonio.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: kendall
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 07:24 AM

I got it from an old friend who sang mostly cowboy songs. Yodeling Slim Clark who died 10 years ago.

It was also sung by Big Slim, the Lone cowboy whom I didn't know at all.

I have no clue who wrote it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: kendall
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 05:31 PM

If this is allowed to fall off the edge of the world I won't bother posting anymore cowboy songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: Artful Codger
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 06:04 PM

Well, you can't expect much in the way of comment since, as I said, the song's been well discussed before, for instance, in this thread: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=29735

In fact, if Joe's watching, he might merge this thread into that one, to minimize duplication.

Do you have some cowboy songs that have gone under the radar here, or versions that are significantly different from ones already posted?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: Gene
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 07:28 PM

years ago I saw a video on some show of Billy Walker singing that song.

while Billy wasn't in my top twenty singers at the time, I had never seen it done better and with more feeling..

on the other hand, one of my favorite singers of the time was
George Jones..and he MURDERED Silver Dew On The Bluegrass Tonight.

just mouthing the words, no feeling at all..

G

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: kendall
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 07:35 PM

I looked for Plantonio in the DT and didn't see it, so I assumed it might be well to post the lyrics.
As long as there is some interest I will continue4 to post old songs, but being lazy, I'm not one to waste energy on stuff no one wants. LOL

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the pride of the plains
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 24 Mar 10 - 10:51 PM

Kendall, we respect you for who and what you are! Your knowledge runs deep and that is proven, but even if on occasion you may err that only proves that you are like us, mere mortals. Let not your insight be deprived to us! Keep posting those lyrics! :-}

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Elyven
Date: 20 May 10 - 08:19 PM

The song is Patonia the pride of the plains, written and recorded by Cowboy Charlie Huff of Oklahoma city.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: Artful Codger
Date: 21 May 10 - 12:33 AM

The original writer of "Platonio" has yet to be established beyond question. The most convincing claim argues for Harry C. Aliff, who wrote as Harry C. McAulife, aka. "Big Slim the Lone Cowboy". Somewhere here there's a post from his son, Ken Aliff. He gives the horse's name as "Patanio".

But I have serious doubts, because Harry didn't begin his career until 1929, whereas the earliest known published version ("Plantonio") was collected by Margaret Larkin and appeared in her book Singing Cowboy in 1931. That's a real short time for a song to enter the tradition and evolve into a significantly bowdlerized song. A lot of those early performers claimed to have "written" songs they merely tweaked or arranged from other sources. I would say, however, that Aliff was responsible for its wide dissemination among later performers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Guest, Jim
Date: 23 May 10 - 02:43 PM

I remember listening IN THE 1950S to late night radio disc jocky Charlie Huff who also sang this song as "PATONIA" THE PRIDE OF THE PLAINS.

I think it was also written as such by him; whether or not it was based on an earlier versionby someone else.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 May 10 - 04:56 PM

It's in the DT as Patonio, The Pride of the Plains.
Names are a snare and a delusion. I checked for "mustang"

Subject: Lyr Add: TOM BLASINGAME (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST,Bernie
Date: 23 May 10 - 05:11 PM

Hi Kendall....in keeping with our mutual love of cowboy and western songs; here's one, though not old or traditional, that I've been carrying in my guitar case for about three years, now determined to learn it....composed ten or fifteen years ago by Ian Tyson; possibly about a legendary Texas cowboy named Tom Blasingame....you have to hear the lovely melody to truly appreciate it, but anyway...


Tom's the name, Tom Blasingame,
Eighty-five years in the saddle
Seen eighty-five years through a cow horse's ears
Whilst chasin' the wild bovine

So you thought they're all gone; there's still one hangin' on
Tied hard and fast to the memories
Might' near the only one, could tell us how she got done
Whilst chasin' the wild bovine

There's eight million cattle on ten thousand hills
Guess no man can ride for them all
Still, Tom lopes along, through the rocks and the rills
Followin' the old cattle call

The Cross S, the Five L's, the big Double O's
The Matadors in Texas, and God only knows
What a wonderful life, what a wonderful game
'Hair on ya, Tom Blasingame

Now, Tom, he says that a man's true joy
Is in work that a man loves to do
So, if I understand, Tom's the right joyous man
So Tom, here's a-lookin' at you

Tom's the name, Tom Blasingame,
Eighty-five years in the saddle
Seen eighty-five years through a cow-horse's ears
A-chasin' the wild bovine

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 24 May 10 - 12:12 AM

It is now Sunday 10:10 here in Pueblo West, Colorado.

I just looked on EBAY at the site below and found the 45rpm recording of PATONIA by Charlie Huff.
Pretty expensive though.
But I'd love to hear it again.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-STARDAY-CUSTOM-PRESS-45-Cowboy-Huff-Huff-617-/200474262447?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item2ead327baf

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 24 May 10 - 12:27 AM

Charlie Huff also sang "El Paso Jail," which can be heard on YOUTUBE>com

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 May 10 - 03:15 PM

The Ian Tyson cd, Old Corrals....., has Tom Blasingame.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Elyven
Date: 12 Dec 12 - 04:33 PM

I so wish I had saved all of my old records of Uncle Charlie Huff, He and my dad wrote and sang together since my dad was 16 years old. His name was Sam Rains and Uncle Charlie recorded a lot of his songs. Lovers Waltz was written for my mother. I miss them all so much. So glad to see other remember them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Dec 12 - 09:30 AM

The horse's name has been spelled several ways:

PATONIA, as recorded by Jim Greer and the Mac-O-Chee Valley Folks; and by Billy Bond

PATANIO, as recorded by Hank Snow and by Hankshaw Hawkins

PATONIO, as recorded by Don Edwards

PLATONIA, as recorded by Glenn Ohrlin

PLANTONIO, as recorded by Yodeling Slim Clark

There may be other spellings, and other recordings or printed sources.

There is another thread on the song: Lyr Req/Add: Platonia / Patanio

and a version in the DT, with yet another spelling: PATTONIO, THE PRIDE OF THE PLAIN

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 13 Dec 12 - 09:58 AM

Looking back at a 2010 comment, one or two years is plenty of time for the song to have "entered tradition" if Larkin got it from somebody who'd heard it from the composer - especially if it had been recorded.

Larkin collected a lot from rodeo cowboys. All it would have taken would be for Aliff to have sung the song at a southwestern rodeo in 1929, '30, or '31 and taught it to Larkin's source.

BTW, what does "bowdlerized" mean in this case?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: kendall
Date: 13 Dec 12 - 01:02 PM

Billy Venero is probably my favorite cowboy song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Dec 12 - 09:23 PM

What's your favorite spelling?
I'll vote for Platonia (Glenn Ohrlin).

PATTONIO, the "yet another not on the list" and in the DT- Fife and Fife, "Cowboy and Western Songs," The version listed as recorded by Joan O'Bryant.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: Artful Codger
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 03:25 AM

Lighter, my use of "bowdlerized" was technically incorrect--I meant generally corrupted, not necessarily sanitized.

If you look at the degree of corruptions in collected versions of works with known authors, you seldom find major changes in the space of two years, and recorded songs are less prone to variation than those circulated purely by word of mouth (or even by print). Yet there are many versions of "P***io" with a great amount of variation, more than we typically find in, say, the songs of Clark or Thorp (much older than P***io, if we accept the Aliff claim).

Consider also the wide variation in tunes. With the phonograph and radio days, the melodies for songs tended to become more or less fixed--one song, one tune. This was particularly true with new songs, which also tended to be written to more distinctive melodies, reflecting the rapid evolution of popular music at this time. Yet there seems to be little correspondence between the various P***io tunes I've encountered. It's as if each performer had learned a different tune, and not particularly flashy ones, either. It suggests an older genesis.

It's possible Aliff was the original author--he's the prime contender for one which might be identified. But the evidence considered together makes this claim improbable, and in its favor we have only the fact that he recorded the song (no date yet stated here, but certainly no earlier than 1929), backed by a third-hand assertion with no concrete details. Color me skeptical.


kendall, "Billy Venero" is one of my favorites, too, though I've largely reverted to the original text, "The Ride of Paul Venarez", and supplemented the tune, because otherwise it gets a bit tiring after 26 uninterrupted repetitions. It's one of the songs I sing most frequently, and after years I still choke up at the end. A powerful story told with well-crafted language, and I think that's why even after a six score years most versions stick surprisingly closely to the original.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: kendall
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 08:54 AM

"It's a poor word that can only be spelled one way." (A.Jackson)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: GUEST,Gene Jones
Date: 13 Jul 13 - 11:44 AM

I've heard Charlie Huff sing that song and I remember him calling it "Patonia the Pride of the Plains". Huff also tried politics during his career and would travel alone to small Oklahoma towns on a Saturday and draw a crowd while singing a few songs, then make his political speeches.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: kendall
Date: 13 Jul 13 - 09:17 PM

Anyone else like The Basque by Tom Russell?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantonio the Pride of the Plains
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Mar 14 - 07:11 PM

There is no record of McAulife having sung the song before the 1931 publication by Larkin.
It is possible that he did, but unlikely.