Backroads is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money by the vote the people, November 4th, 2008.

[Music] You gallant gentleman all come listen to my story about the bold Skewbald, that noble racing pony Oh the marvel was the man who brought bold Skewbald over He's a diamond of the land, and he rolls about in clover The horses were brought out with saddle, whip and bridle And the gentleman did shout when they saw the noble rider And some did shout hooray; the air was thick with curses, And on the gray Griselda the sportsmen bet their purses The trumpet it did sound.

They shot off like an arrow.

They scarcely touched the ground for the going it was narrow And Griselda passed him by.

The gentlemen did holler For the gray will win the day and Skewbold he will follow Then halfway round the course up spoke the noble rider I fear we must go home, for she's going like a tiger And when they did discourse, bold Skewbald flew like lightning Chased round the course and the gray mare she was taken Ride on, my noble lord, for they have two hundred guineas, And the prize will be of gold when we become the winner And past the winning post, bold Skewbold drew quite handy And horse and rider both ordered sherry, wine and brandy You gallant gentlemen all, come listen to my story About the bold Skewbold, that noble racing pony Oh, the marvel was the man who brought bold Skewbold over He's a diamond of the land and he rolls about in clover I think for me I was probably a senior in high school and just got involved with some local folks and started playing some cover songs and I think the next year after I graduated wound up playing my senior high school so it was kind of fun and then certainly pursued that all throughout college as well.

I'd say it's about the same for me, somewhere in high school started playing in bands and then took a break for college, didn't play much at all and then I went in the Army for a couple years where I started playing bass and then when I got out of the service I decided that's what I was going to do was play bass.

As I was walking one morning in May I met a pretty fair maid, her gown it was gay I stepped it up to her and back she did fall.

She want to be played with his long peg and awl I said 'pretty fair maid, will you travel with me Unto foreign countries strange things for to see And I will protect you whate'er may befall and you'll follow your love with his long peg and awl.'

So home to her parents she went straight away And unto her mother these words she did say 'I'll follow my true love, whate'er may befall.

I'll follow my love with his long peg 'Oh, daughter.

Oh, daughter, now do not say so For young men are false, you very well know They'll tell you fine things and the devil and all And leave you big-bellied with his long peg and awl.'

'Oh, mother.

Oh, mother, please do not say so Before you were 16 you very well know There was father and mother and baby and all and You followed my dad for his long peg and awl As I was out walkin' one morning in May I met a pretty fair maid, her gown it was gay I stepped it up to her and back she did fall She want to be played, she want to be played She want to be played with the long peg and awl When I was a teenager I'd fallen in love with the folk revival, which is traditional British Isles folk music with a rock element using some electric instruments, bass guitar.

We didn't invent it.

It was invented many years ago by a band called Fairport Convention and another band called Steeleye Span.

So I had a Steeleye Span record.

I know my big introduction was actually going to see of all things a Randy Newman concert, he was at the Guthrie but his warm-up was Richard Thompson, who was a guitar player and I had never heard anyone play a guitar like that and it really spurred me on.

I found out what tunings he was using.

He was using dadgad, which is a famous Irish tuning for guitar, and I just put a guitar in every room of the house.

There were four drunken maidens lived on the Isle of Wight They drank from Monday morning till midnight Saturday night When Saturday night rolled round, me boys, these girls they wouldn't go out These four drunken maidens kept pushing the jug about Then up comes bouncing Sally, her face as red as blooms Move up me jolly sisters and give young Sally some room And I will be your equal before the night is out And these four drunken maidens kept pushing the jug about There's woodcock and pheasant, partridge and hare There's all sorts of dainties-no scarcity was there There's forty pints of beer, me boys.

They fairly drank them out.

And these four drunken maidens kept pushing the jug Then up comes a landlord, he's asking for his fee.

There's a bill for 40 pounds, me boys, these gobs have got to pay That's ten pounds apiece, me boys, but still they wouldn't go out These four drunken maidens kept pushing the jug about Oh where are your feathered hats, your mantles rich and fine They've all been swallowed up, me boys, in tankards of good wine And where are your maidenheads, you maidens rich and gay?

We left them at the alehouse and drank them clean away.

Well one of the new ones that we're in the process of recording right now is called Mominsko Horo and it's a Balkan tune.

I'd had actually written this thing out so that we could figure out what time signature it was in because it switches all the time throughout the piece and it was John's idea to do this.

It's a pretty crazy piece of music.

We learned it in the middle of Covid because we had lots of time, so we'd learn like a little tiny bit and then like we couldn't rehearse or whatever.

So we were learning it separately and it takes a long time to learn these longer pieces, for us.

Other people can learn it, you know, takes me a while.

And whereas John and I kind of had a road map for the tune itself, Matt really didn't because there's no drums anywhere.

I don't think it's ever been performed, I don't know, but that particular piece which is an old it's got to be a couple hundred years old or whatever.

That's a tough task applying a drum kit.

Most drummers would not want to sit in on that one.

Right.

[Music] [Music] Backroads is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money by the vote of the people, November 4th, 2008.