My Pony Boy

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"My Pony Boy"
MyPonyBoySheetMusicCover.png
Sheet music cover (1909).
Song
LanguageEnglish
Published1909
Songwriter(s)Composer: Charley O'Donnell
Lyricist: Bobbie Heath

"My Pony Boy" is a popular song written in 1909 by Bobby Heath (lyrics) and Charley O'Donnell. It was incorporated into the Broadway musical Miss Innocence (1909) where it was introduced by Lillian Lorraine.[1]

Description[]

Along with songs like "Cheyenne", it became a cliché, as its tune was frequently used in Western movies and cartoons. It works especially well when played on a "Honky tonk" piano.

The first verse explains that the central character of the song has many female admirers; the second that the "Fluffy Ruffle girl" has won his heart. The chorus:

Pony Boy, Pony Boy
Won't you be my Tony[2] 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[3]

The old expression "giddy up", exhorting a horse to gallop at high speed, is a corruption of "get ye up". The term "tony" refers to someone of high "tone" or social elegance.[4][original research?]

In the 1931 Krazy Kat short Rodeo Dough, a female spaniel sings the song after Krazy wins a rodeo event. In the 1950s The song was used in a commercial selling a juice concentrate also called Pony Boy.

Recordings[]

Ada Jones recorded it for Victor Records # 16356 in August 1909.[5]

Peerless Quartet - recorded for Columbia Records (catalog No. 713) in May, 1909.[6]

Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album On the Happy Side (1962).

Bruce Springsteen included a modified version as the last song on his 1992 album Human Touch.

Bibliography[]

  • Heath, Bobbie; O'Donnell, Charlie. "My Pony Boy" (sheet music). New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. (1909).

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Duke University Libraries". Duke University Libraries. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  2. ^ This is not a typo. "Tony" is a slang word meaning "fashionable" or "stylish."
  3. ^ Heath, "My Pony Boy"
  4. ^ "tony | Search Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved Dec 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.


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