Stewball

From Vol. 1
Traditional Treasures

SUGGESTED KEY: C

CAPO: None

CHORD FAMILY: C

TIME SIGNATURE: 3/4

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

A Little About This Song…

These are the most commonly used American words to Stewball; old English versions refer to the horse as “Skewball”. There is some truth to the tale being told here. Sometime in the late 1800s, a famous race took place near Dublin, Ireland, between a skewbald horse owned by Sir Arthur Marvel, and ‘Miss Portly’, a gray mare owned by Sir Ralph Gore. Our storyteller is Stewball’s jockey who tried to make a killing by throwing the race and personally betting against the horse he was riding. In the first three verses, he attempts to improve his odds but the rider ends up losing everything when the competition stumbles and Stewball unexpectedly wins the race.

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