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Can't Hear the Music?

My Pony Boy


Original Version by Bobby Heath and Music by Charley O'Donnell, 1909: With the advent of the movies, or "flickers", which were not yet firmly established in Hollywood, "westerns" were clearly gaining in popularity. Florenz Ziegfeld had this song interpolated into one of his shows. The verse is just short of a tongue twister, but the chorus is so simple that it quickly became a children's favorite!
(Thanks to "Perfessor" Bill Edwards for the midi and the research on this song's original words and origin)
Way out west, in a nest from the rest, dwelt the bestest little Bronco Boy
He could ride, he could glide o'er the prairies like an arrow.
Every 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;

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.

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;

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.

Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, whooooooa! My Pony Boy

Another "popular" version performed by Bruce Springsteen:
Pony boy, pony boy
Won't you be my pony boy
Giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up whoo
My pony boy

Ride with me ride with me
Won't you take a ride with me
Underneath the starry sky
My pony boy

O'er the hills and through the trees
We'll go ridin' 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

And finally, another version that you might have heard:
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.
Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, whoa!
My Pony Boy
Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, whooooooa!
My Pony Boy

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