Origin of “Four White Horses”
This is a wonderfully catchy song from the Caribbean. There is a really great 4 person clapping game that goes with it too.
Anyway, the words I learned was from a workshop run by Doug Goodkin. The words of this song never made any sense to me. But I did love the song as well as the clapping game that went along with it.
No doubt a song like this has been passed person to person though many generations and probably the words have changed during the transitions.
Particularly as the song has crossed cultures. The song is originally from somewhere warm and is now sung my me in Canada.
Four White Horses (words I learned from Doug Goodkin)
Four white horses by the river
Hey, hey, hey, up tomorrow.
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on and join our shadow play.
Shadow play is a ripe banana.
Hey, hey, hey, up tomorrow.
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on and join our shadow play.
I think more likely words are:
Four white horses by the river
Hey, hey, hey, hope tomorrow.
Hope tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on into the shallow bay.
Shallow bay has a ripe banana.
Hey, hey, hey, hope tomorrow.
Hope tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on into the shallow bay.
Anybody know where this song is from?
I would love to hear about other versions or stories about the song. As always please feel free to post your lyrics or comments below.
This entry was posted on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 7:45 am and is filed under Song Origins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
8 Responses to “Origin of “Four White Horses””
I have always loved this song, and now working with children, I had hoped to come across a recording of it. I remember learning it in elementary school, as our music teacher taught us many songs with confusing lyrics. I think the fact that they didn’t make much sense made it all the more fun. I wish I knew the origins of this song. Up until now, I thought I was the only one who knew it.
4 white horses on the river
hey heyhey up tommorow
up tomorrow is a rainy day
come on up to the shallow bay
shallow bay is a ripe banana
up tommorow is a rainy day
four white horses on de rainbow
aye aye aye for tomorrow
for tomorrow’s a rainy day
come and play it’s a ripe banana
aye aye aye
for tomorrow
for tomorrow’s a rainy day
(can’t remember this line…)
This is what I remember, learned it in the Gramboko Elementary school yard- maybe 1974, 75,76 St. Thomas V.I. It was a clap game for four people… across from you, up, down, left, right… so fun
We also sang clap songs like “Brown Girl in the Ring”
Good memories!
Nancy
Thanks for your words great to get someone who played the clapping game years ago. I just learned the clapping game last year and love it!!
i always heard it like this:
four white horses on the rainbow ey ey ey up tomarow up tomarow its a rainy day come on down to our shallow play shallow play is a rotten bananana eyeyey up tomarow(reapeats whithout saying four white hourses on the rainbow eyeyey)
lyrics i learned: 4 white horses on a rainbow
i i i up tommarow up tomorrow’s a rainy day
come and join our shadow play
shadow play’s a ripe bannana
i i i up tomarrow up tomarrow’s a rainy day
come and join our shadow play
p.s- a girl told me that she grew up with horses and the shadow play could be the name of a horse. and the ripe banana means that the horse is going to be riddin for the first time.
Natalie
Thanks for your version and the info about the “Ripe Banana”.
i learned it like this:
four white horses on the river hey hey hey up tomorrow, up tomorrow is a rainy day, come on up to the shallow bay, shallow bay is a ripe banana, up tomorrow is a rainy day.
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