136
Skew Ball
Here follow two fragments of the Irish racing ballad 'Skew Ball'
or 'The Noble Skewball.' Scarborough TNFS 61-4 gives some
account of its history, an early nineteenth-century English broad-
side version of it, and several versions from the South. There is
an early American printing of it: 'The Noble Scuball,' in The
Songster's Museum, A New and Choice Collection of Popular
Songs, Selected from the Best Authors (Hartford [Conn.], 1826),
p. 3. In the South 'Skew Ball' has been more or less dismantled
and reassembled. For other American texts see, besides Scarbor-
ough, Lomax ABFS 68-71, Perrow JAFL xxviii 134, Flanders
et al. NGMS 172-4, Davis FSV 41, 257-8. Both of our fragments
are reported as Negro songs.
'Skew Ball.' From Thomas Smith, Zionville, Watauga county, 1915,
with music "as sung by Mrs. Peggy Perry, whose uncle, Thomas Duty,
sang it before the Civil War."
Gentlemen, ladies, and all,
I'll tell you the tale of my noble 'skew-ball' —
White mane and tail and cast [or least] on his back.
A short drummer riding along
With his hands in the stirrup to keep his head warm.
From saddle to stirrup I mounted again
And with my ten toes I tripped over the plain.
'Stewbald.' From G. B. Caldwell, Monroe, Union county; not dated.
Stewbald, Stewbald was uh race boss;
Racehoss of great renown,
And his record, record was established,
Established in every town.
His bridle was made of silver, silver.
And his harness, harness made of gold,
And the price of his saddle, saddle remain untold.
136
Skew Ball
'Skew Ball.' Sung by Mrs. Peggy Perry. Recorded as ms score at Zionville,
Watauga county, in 1915.
The text of the Thomas Smith version, II 371, gives "tail and cast [or least]"
in the third line. The ms score gives the text only partially, but this part is
complete. The word is clearly "list." This can mean a strip of cloth or other
material, or a strip or band of any kind. It can also mean a division of the hair.
The latter is quite as probable as the former in this context.
For melodic relationship cf. **TNFS 63.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a-flat. Structure: aa^ba^ (2,2,2,2)
Reprisenbar.