Comments on: Origin of “Four White Horses”

By: BVI

BVI — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:49:22 +0000

Four white horses, on the riverbank,
Hey, hey, up tomorrow,
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on down to the shadow play,
A shadow play is a ripe banana,
Hey, hey, up tomorrow
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on down to the shadow play,
A shadow play is a ripe banana,
Hey, hey, up tomorrow.

(you have to sing it in a very upbeat way)

By: Maliyah Price

Maliyah Price — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:22:00 +0000

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.

By: Mike Whitla

Mike Whitla — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:45:37 +0000

Natalie

Thanks for your version and the info about the “Ripe Banana”.

By: natalie

natalie — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:29:41 +0000

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.

By: emily

emily — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:55:23 +0000

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)

By: Mike Whitla

Mike Whitla — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:13:22 +0000

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!!

By: Nancy Owen

Nancy Owen — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:50:23 +0000

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!

By: leconci

leconci — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:47:20 +0000

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

By: Natalia Wheaton

Natalia Wheaton — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:50:05 +0000

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.