Son House Pony Blues Lyrics

Why don't you catch1 my pony, now saddle up my black mare?
...my pony, saddle up, up my black mare?
You know, I'm gonna find my baby, well, in the world somewhere

You know, he's a travelin' horse, an' he's too black bad2
He's a travelin' pony, I declare, he's too black bad
You know, he got a gait, now, no Shetlan' ain't never had

You know, I taken him by the rein an' I led him around and 'round
I say, I taken him by the reins an' I, I led him, him 'round and 'round
You know, he ain't the best in the world, but he's the best ever been in this town

You know, he's a travelin' horse and he don't deny his name
He's a travelin' pony and he don't deny his name
You know, the way he can travel is a low-down, old, dirty shame

Why don't you come up here, pony, now come on, please let's us go
I said, "Come up, get up now, please pony, now let's us go"
Let's we saddle on down on the Gulf of, of Mexico

You know, the horse that I'm ridin', he can fox-trot, he can lope and pace
I say, the pony I'm ridin', he can fox-trot, he can lope and pace
You know, a horse with them many gaits, you know, I'm bound to win the race

He's a travelin' horse an' he don't deny his name
He's a travelin' pony, he don't deny his name
(spoken: You know that) the way he can travel is a low-down, old, dirty shame

__________
Note 1: catch, probably, to rig up to a buggy;
Note 2: too black bad, vague blues superlative, along the order of "mean" or "too tight". Although the tendency to invert conventional meaning has been described as a characteristic of black phrase-mongering, this expression has precedent in passé phrases like "bad to beat", meaning hard to beat. "Black" belongs in House's phrase as an intensifier, or else is used for the sake of alliteration.