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United States. Aufray's version takes the perspective of a man recalling an experience as a ten-year-old boy. His father believes that
Stewball will win a race, so he puts all his money and assets into this venture. Toward the end of the race, Stewball tragically falls. The veterinarian finishes him off with a single shot. This is the first time that the narrator witnesses his father cry. Aufray's song is very different in that it features Stewball not winning his race and dying due to an injury. This version was also later translated into the Czech language by Milan Dvořák, becoming widely known as a campfire song.
172:. In both songs the title horse is the underdog in the race, up against a favored grey mare (usually called either "Griselda" or "Molly"), and although in most versions of Stewball the winning horse triumphs due to the stumbling of the lead horse, Skewball wins simply by being the faster horse in the end. Probably the most significant lyrical difference in the songs is the conversation Skewball has with his jockey, while Stewball behaves more like a typical horse and does not speak.
188:. British and Irish versions, when the setting is mentioned, usually place the race in Kildare, Ireland, leading some to believe that the song is actually Irish in origin. The grey mare was owned by Sir Ralph Gore, whose family had gained a great deal of land in Ireland with the Protestant Cromwellian invasion (starting in 1650), which probably accounts for the delight in Skewball's win "breaking Sir Gore" in the final lines of this Irish-based broadside.
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144:, and later sold. His name has been recorded as "Squball", "Sku-ball", or "Stewball". He won many races in England and was sent to Ireland. The Irish turf calendar states that he won six races worth £508 in 1752, when he was eleven years old, and was the top-earning runner of that year in Ireland. His most famous race took place on the plains of
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The oldest broadside identified with the ballad is dated 1784 and is held by the
Harding Collection of the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford. The song had spread to America by 1829 when it was published in a songbook in Hartford. American versions were sung and adapted by slaves in the
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in 1966, becoming one of Aufray's biggest hits. However, this song (written by Hugues Aufray and Pierre Delanoë) is unlike the
English-language songs of the same name, although the adaptation was created after Aufray met Peter, Paul, and Mary, along with others such as Bob Dylan in a trip to the
488:"The book of the horse : thorough-bred, half-bred, cart-bred, saddle and harness, British and foreign, with hints on horsemanship; the management of the stable; breeding, breaking and training for the road, the park, and the field"
168:, generally titled either "Skewball" or "Stewball"; the latter is more popular in America. There are multiple variations within the two major divisions. Versions date at least as far back as the 18th century, appearing on numerous
148:, Ireland, which is generally the subject of the song of the same name. The early ballad about the event has Skewball belonging to an Arthur Marvell or Mervin. Based on the horse's name, Skewball was likely a
290:. Their version, however, has lyrics from a different perspective, where the singer wishes he had bet on Stewball, as opposed to Johnny Herald, who encourages others to do so, because he "never did lose."
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described the Peter, Paul and Mary version as "a hard-driving, rhythmic ditty about a race-horse who has a preference for wine." Other versions of this version of "Stewball" include
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An early mention of the horse is found in an early 20th century folk song, "When I Go Out" by Buster Red, who references seeing no horse like "Stewball" at the
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270:. Guthrie's cowboy version of the British ballad, with the same lyrics but a different tune, was recorded in 1961 on the
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Stewball") was recorded by
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Lead Belly's
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with the famed race against the grey mare taking place in
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that she had recorded in 1985/1986 for her TV series
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The horse was foaled in 1741 and originally owned by
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The Best of Peter, Paul and Mary: Ten Years
Together
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406:(2011) as well as a duet version with her late son
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Southern United States, and have
Stewball racing in
392:Also of interest are the renditions of the song by
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
207:. A notable recording is by American folk legend
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360:Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again
259:, available online at the American Memory site.
345:Popular British versions include recordings by
219:(1930–1940). The American interpretation is a
715:Thoroughbred Heritage on Skewball: The Ballads
371:as "The Plains of Kildare" on their duo album
286:, and subsequently covered and popularized by
164:There are two major different versions of the
152:horse though he was listed in stud books as a
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710:Thoroughbred Heritage on Skewball: the horse
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417:The melody was also the basis for the song "
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705:Old Town School of Folk Music on Skewball
649:"1939 Southern Recording Trip Fieldnotes"
540:Heritage, Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred.
510:
508:
462:Heritage, Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred.
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1151:Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
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142:Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin
124:was the name of an 18th-century British
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215:) on tape, and recorded in Volume 4 of
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227:and Guthrie with an African American '
1146:Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
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266:, and then by British skiffle singer
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
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1084:The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
567:, ed. Hugh Shields (Dublin, 1988),
16:British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse
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128:, most famous as the subject of a
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968:Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
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410:released in 2014 on the CD-album
1056:Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
546:Welcome to Thoroughbred Heritage
468:Welcome to Thoroughbred Heritage
23:
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890:Songs of Conscience and Concern
683:. November 16, 1963. p. 10
585:"American Folk Song Collection"
245:American Ballads and Folk Songs
34:needs additional citations for
830:The Peter, Paul and Mary Album
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257:Southern States Recording Trip
1:
1156:Racehorses trained in Ireland
989:The Times They Are a-Changin'
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915:Peter, Paul & Mommy, Too
412:Music, Movies & Memories
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1166:Peter, Paul and Mary songs
517:"Skewball was a Racehorse"
464:"Skewball was a Racehorse"
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1017:I Dig Rock and Roll Music
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823:See What Tomorrow Brings
674:"CashBox Record Reviews"
419:Happy Xmas (War is Over)
398:Doris Day's Best Friends
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1003:San Francisco Bay Blues
982:Tell It on the Mountain
858:No Easy Walk to Freedom
653:The Library of Congress
1161:Thoroughbred family 21
1091:This Land Is Your Land
1038:Leaving on a Jet Plane
996:When the Ship Comes In
947:Puff, the Magic Dragon
542:"Skewball a Skewbald?"
374:Andy Irvine/Paul Brady
1141:1741 racehorse births
851:Peter, Paul and Mommy
795:Peter, Paul and Mary
751:Peter, Paul and Mary
288:Peter, Paul and Mary
205:Saratoga Race Course
193:Roud Folk Song Index
43:improve this article
1181:Woody Guthrie songs
1024:Too Much of Nothing
961:Blowin' in the Wind
334:LP (1966), and the
217:The Asch Recordings
191:The song is in the
1176:Songs about horses
1010:Early Morning Rain
875:Compilation albums
515:Patricia Erigero.
443:List of racehorses
336:Chad Mitchell Trio
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940:If I Had a Hammer
321:Would You Believe
229:call and response
130:broadsheet ballad
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685:. Retrieved
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655:. 1939-06-02
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632:. Retrieved
630:. 2016-10-23
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605:. 2016-10-23
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41:Please help
36:verification
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1115:Discography
1077:El Salvador
1048:Other songs
1031:Day Is Done
900:Live albums
809:In the Wind
423:John Lennon
377:, in 1976.
365:Andy Irvine
347:A. L. Lloyd
316:The Hollies
311:Joan Baez/5
280:John Herald
264:The Weavers
1135:Categories
933:Lemon Tree
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498:2019-11-23
473:2019-11-23
449:References
369:Paul Brady
340:Reflecting
253:Alan Lomax
237:California
225:Lead Belly
221:chain-gang
199:Recordings
178:California
170:broadsides
69:newspapers
58:"Skewball"
954:500 Miles
394:Doris Day
331:Mixed Bag
328:on their
306:Joan Baez
276:New Folks
126:racehorse
99:July 2016
975:Stewball
681:Cash Box
437:See also
429:and the
427:Yoko Ono
403:My Heart
342:(1964).
324:(1966),
314:(1964),
293:Cash Box
282:and the
272:Vanguard
213:Stewball
195:, #456.
186:Kentucky
150:skewbald
122:Skewball
925:Singles
146:Kildare
136:History
83:scholar
802:Moving
571:
382:French
353:, and
308:'s on
302:Wanted
274:album
184:, and
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677:(PDF)
421:" by
182:Texas
160:Songs
90:JSTOR
76:books
569:ISBN
367:and
251:and
249:John
62:news
338:on
318:on
300:on
278:by
247:by
154:bay
45:by
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