Molly and Tenbrooks

Subject: Banjo: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 08 Feb 00 - 10:09 PM

I have always loved this song as done by Ian and Sylvia...with Eric Weissberg on the banjo. Years ago, as a banjo beginner, I would not even be able to attempt playing it. Now that I am an "intermediate" (able to play most of the folk styles (Pete Seeger and Kingston Trio, etc.) and a few bluegrass (e.g. Cripple Creek, Foggy Mt Breakdown, Beverly Hillbillies...only by popular demand!), I t h o u g h t I should be able to lift this song from the record. However (comma)! I Can't duplicate it with any of my pickin patterns. Also it seems that what he (Eric) is doin at the end, when he slows down, is a double thumbing and not the same style as the rest which is quite fast. Any help would be appreciated. Ray in Savannah.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjo: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: GUEST,DRT
Date: 09 Feb 00 - 01:17 PM

oops...sorry! I too, love this song. Got a chance to see Steve Gillette sing it years ago in Huntington Beach, CA, and it was great even without the Banjo. Although, I must say the banjo really adds to the drama of the "race."

Subject: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: GUEST,Richiematt
Date: 22 May 06 - 11:59 PM

Hi,


I'm curious as to whether you think Bill Monroes lyrics are wrong, if wrong is the right word.

Here are his lyrics (love the word -squirrel-):

"Tenbrooks said to Molly what makes your head so red?
Runnin' in the hot sun puts fever in my head
Fever in my head O Lord fever in my head

Molly said to Tenbrooks you're lookin' mighty squirrel
Tenbrooks said to Molly I'm a-leavin' this old world
Leavin' this old world O Lord leavin' this old world"

Since Molly dies in the end and is buried in a coffin ready-made, shouldn't Tenbrooks say to Molly, "You're looking mighty squirrel--

Seems like Monroe has got the horses mixed up.

Also does anyone know the origin of Monroe's lyrics? Don't tell me Skewball (Stewball)- I mean the direct origin (Where Monroe heard/learned the ballad).

Thanks

Richie

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: 12-stringer
Date: 23 May 06 - 01:13 AM

No idea where Monroe got this version, but did ya check out D K Wilgus' article on the ballad and its history in the 1956 Kentucky Folklore Record? (There's another article by Janson in the same journal, 1958, on the topic.) Wilgus was one of the first pro folklorists to take hillbilly music seriously, and it's quite possible he asked Monroe about it, directly or indirectly.

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: Amos
Date: 23 May 06 - 09:14 AM

Richie:

Welcome to the 'Cat.

If you put "Tenbrooks" into the Lyrics and Knowledge Search box (just left of the catfish on the forum home page) it will bring up several threads discussing this in detail. If you leave DT checked it will also bring up whatever version(s) can be found in the Digital Tradition database.


A

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: Barry Finn
Date: 23 May 06 - 09:31 AM

Run Molly run, run Molly run
Tenbrooks gonna beat you to the bright & shinning sun
The bright & shinning sun, bright & shinning sun

Way out in California where Molly do as she please
Come back to ol Kentucky got beat with all ease
Got beat with all ease, got beat with all ease

Tenbrooks said to Molly what makes your head so red
Runnin' in the hot sun puts fever in my head
Fever in my head O Lord fever in my head

Tenbrooks said to Molly you're lookin' mighty squirrel
Molly said to Tenbrooks I'm a-leavin' this old world
Leavin' this old world O Lord leavin' this old world

Papa, oh Papa you ain't ??????? right
Tenbrooks beat ol Molly clear out of site
Clear out of site,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Papa, oh Papa now you've heard my song
Give ol Tenbrooks a bottle & ???????? lo Tenbrooks

I think that's the way I remember it but it's been so sooo long since I've sung it.

Barry

Subject: ADD Version: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: Mark Clark
Date: 23 May 06 - 12:03 PM

I think GUEST,Richiematt is referring to the original recording of Molly and Tenbrooks by Monroe's band. I think it was recorded in 1947 but the track has been included in many anthologies and “greatest hits” collections since then. I've always thought he got his horses mixed up on that recording as well. Monroe recored the tune several more times over his career and I think each time he selected a slightly different set of verses.

Here are the verses I know. I don't generally sing them all every time and I sometimes mix up the order.

MOLLY AND TENBROOKS

Tenbrook was a big bay horse
He wore the shaggy mane
He run all around Memphis
And beat the Memphis train

Beat a Memphis train oh Lord
Beat a Memphis Train

See the engine comin'
Comin' 'round the curve
See ol' Tenbrooks runnin'
Strainin' every nerve

Way out in California
Ol' Molly done as she pleased
Come back to old Kentucky
Got beat with all ease

They ran the Kentucky Derby
On the twelfth day of May
Some bet on ol' Tenbrooks
And some on Molly Day

Tenbrook said to Molly
What makes your head so red
Molly said to Tenbrook
Got fever in my head

Kiper, Kiper
You're not runnin' right
Molly's beatin' ol' Tenbrook
Clear out of sight

Kiper, Kiper
Kiper my son
Give ol' Tenbrook the bridle
And let ol' Tenbrook run

The women all are laughin'
Children all are cryin'
Mens all a hollerin'
Ol' Tenbrook is flyin'

Tenbrook said to Molly
You're lookin' might squirrel
Molly said to ol' Tenbrook
I'm leavin this ol' world

Go and fetch ol' Tenbrook
And hitch him in the shade,
We're goin' to bury Molly
In a coffin ready made

Let ol' Tenbrook run oh Lord
Let ol' Tenbrook run

I've seen more verses but have never commited any of them to memory. I think I've included all the verses Monroe recorded at various times and then some. I'm not sure he ever recorded the verse about the Kentucky Derby.

      - Mark

Bill Monroe Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v1dHAxdzI8 (this transcription includes additional verses)

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: Mark Clark
Date: 23 May 06 - 01:11 PM

Nuts, I forgot to include the first verse. The same first verse that Barry listed above.

Run ol' Molly run
Run Molly run
Tenbrook gonna beat you
To the bright shining sun

Bright shining sun oh Lord
Bright shining sun

It seem to me that this song came from an Irish song about an actual horse race. I think Tenbrook was really something like Ten-Broeks but I don't have any reference at hand. I think this was discussed in Sing Out! magazine in the early 1960s

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: GUEST,RichieMatt
Date: 25 May 06 - 09:44 AM

Molly was Mollie McCarthy or sometimes McCarty. Tenbrooks was Ten Broeck. There's alot of info about the race but not about the origin of Monroe's version.

Since I believe Monroe got his horses mixed up or he sang the verse the way he learned it (which had the horses mixed up). Mark has corrected the lyrics I posted in his version.

The reason I posted this was to get new info. I'm sure the details of the race was discussed on earlier threads.

Monroe and Stanley both had similar first versions. Stanley had one different verse. I assume Stanley got his version from Monroe. As monroe is attributed the classic version.

Thanks for your help,

Richie

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: jacqui.c
Date: 26 May 06 - 05:23 AM

Kendall here,
I hear bluegrass singers singing the wrong words all the time. The right ones don't seem to matter very much.
Last summer, I almost got brained for telling a guy he was using the wrong cord. The song was The Old Home Place, and when he got to "years" he insisted on using an "F" out of the "G" when it should be a "B 7th".

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: Mark Clark
Date: 26 May 06 - 09:32 AM

Kendall, that would hurt my ears too. I'd definately have corrected the offender. I think the Internet may be contributing to a lot of the wrong chords and lyrics. Here on Mudcat if we post wrong lyrics or chords someone with the right ones will usually pop in and offer a correction. By the time it makes it to the DT, the issues have been sorted out. But on a site like BluegrassLyrics.com fully half the lyrics seem to contain errors. If they included chords the error rate might be much higher. Many "tab" sites are replete with error. I get the feeling that a lot of people posting song information aren't used to listening to the local dialects and idioms found wherever English is spoken.

And it's a good bet that The Stanley Brothers learned Molly and Tenbrooks (and a lot of other songs) directly from Monroe. Bill would introduce a song Saturday night on the Grand Ole Opry and the next Monday morning, The Stanley Brothers would be singing it on their radio program.

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Apr 21 - 05:37 PM

needs cleanup

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 05 Apr 21 - 09:07 PM

I really love Steve Gillette's version. Probably my favorite one.

Subject: RE: Molly and Tenbrooks
From: GUEST,Nathan Gray
Date: 11 Oct 22 - 10:58 PM

I’ve read the lyric both as “Kyper, kyper, my son”
And as “hyper hyper hyper my son.”
Which is it? And why??