My Pony Boy (Ada Jones, 1909)

1OO YEARS OLD 1909-2009: This great song, written by Bobbie Heath and Charlie O'Donnell, was introduced by Lillian Lorraine (Ziegfeld's mistress) in the 1909 Anna Held (Ziegfeld's wife) musical "Miss Innocence", playing at the New York Theatre. Here, the hit recording from the same year, with Ada Jones and the Peerless Quartet on Victor 16356, 10-inch 78rpm shellac .

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...

• Category

  Music

[DocJargon]

Heard this song sung by a male singer (same one who did the "Zorro" theme for Disney, possibly) on either a 78 or, more likely, a 45 as a child in the late '50s.

[camaysar222]

Yes, so did I. I just cannot remember who it was. A Gene Autry/Roy Rogers type character, perhaps.

[Robbi496]

WOW! I did not know this song was this old?? I have some Ada Jones records in my 78 rpm collection!

[camaysar222]

Now all you need is an old Victrola to play then on for some real time-travel!

[Robert Hunt]

I remember that it was heard on the new TV sets when Adlai Stevenson was nominated at the Democratic Convention. It was a campaign song for him.

[camaysar222]

Very interesting. My parents were Stevenson fans, so that was probably the very recording that led me to seek this one out.

[GhostLightning195]

The original bronies

[blearyeyed09]

My grandmother bounced us on her knee and sang "Pony ride pony ride, won't you be my pony ride, here we go don't say no right across the plain, marry me carry me right away with you, giddiup giddiup giddiup whoa, my pony ride...."

But the tune was exactly the same ;=)

Memories!!

[Matthew Hawthorne]

Make-a you hap-ay hap-ay hap-ay

[blogpoon]

My dad did that to me too! I nearly forgot all about it till he sang and bounced his grandkids (my kids) in the same way. :)

[Mike Beyett]

To DocJargon: Definitly not the fifties nor a 45. Try the early forties and a 78. I was there and the song was a favorite of my parents plus the fact that I knew of every 45 in the fifties that sold more than 100 copies and pony boy was not there. You are right about the western male singer though.

[Eirin-Marie Moe]

Ada Jones sings so beatiful. Her voice make me happy.

[ColnagoSpartan]

My grand aunt did the same. Fond memories of this song and I'm sure their knees were sore the next day.

[camaysar222]

Love to hear it!