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Not, as the title suggests, from the line of traditional songs associated with mummers' plays, but more related to the sea
shanty called Dead Horse, which harks back to the custom of sailors borrowing advance wages "on a dead horse" to
spend in port. In the sleeve notes to the 1978 album Rise Up Like the Sun the song is described as "an attempt to push
the traditional sea shanty towards a country blues style... with a chord progression developed from the James Taylor song
Wandering."
The song achieved the distinction of being selected as "Record of the Week"
by disc jockey Simon Bates.
Poor Old Horse
They say, old man, your horse will die
(And they say so, and we hope so)
They say, old man, your horse will die
(Oh poor old man)
And if he dies then we'll tan his hide
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Aye and if he dies then we'll tan his hide
(Oh poor old man)
And if he lives then we'll ride again
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Aye and if he lives then we'll ride again
(Oh poor old man)
And it's after years of much abuse
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Then we'll salt him down for the sailors' use
(Oh poor old man)
He's as dead as a nail in the lamp room floor
(And they say so, and we hope so)
He's as dead as a nail in the lamp room floor
(Oh poor old man)
Aye and he won't bother us no more
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Aye and he won't bother us no more
(Oh poor old man)
And it's Sally's in the garden and she's picking the peas
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Aye and her long black hair's hangin' down to her knees
(Oh poor old man)
And it's Sally's in the kitchen and she's baking the duff
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Aye and the cheeks of her arse are going chuff chuff chuff
(Oh poor old man)
And it's down the long and the winding road
(And they say so, and we hope so)
And it's down the long and the winding road
(Oh poor old man)
It's mahogany beef and the weevily bread
(And they say so, and we hope so)
It's mahogany beef and the weevily bread
(Oh poor old man)
And I thought I heard the old man say
(And they say so, and we hope so)
Just one more pull and then belay
(Oh poor old man)
Just one more pull and that will do
(And they say so, and they hope so)
For we're the lads to kick her through
(Oh poor old man)
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