The Old Grey Mare
Composer:
American Traditional song
Genre: Childrens,World / Folk
Decade: before 1923
Submitted by: Russell Ambrose
Description:
From Wikipedia:The Old Gray Mare is an old folk song, more recently regarded as a children's song.[1] Although nominally about horses, it can also be interpreted as referring to women who are well past their prime.Some authors[2][3][4] have said that the song originated based upon the extraordinary performance of the horse Lady Suffolk, the first horse recording as trotting a mile in less than two and a half minutes. It occurred on 4 July 1843 at the Beacon Course racetrack in Hoboken, New Jersey,[2] when she was more than ten years old.[2][3] One author[2] attributed the song to Stephen Foster, although the composer is listed usually as unknown. The book, The Gallant Gray Trotter,[5] featured Lady Suffolk.[6]
by: Russell Ambrose