Molly And Tenbrooks
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys Lyrics


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Run O Molly run, run O Molly run
Tenbrooks gonna beat you to the bright shinin' sun.
To the bright shinin' sun O Lord to the bright shinin' sun

Tenbrooks was a big bay horse he wore that shaggy mane
He run all around Memphis he beat the Memphis train
Beat the Memphis train O Lord beat the Memphis train
See that train a-comin' it's comin' round the curve
See old Tenbrooks runnin' he's strainin' every nerve
Strainin' every nerve O Lord strainin' every nerve

Tenbrooks said to Molly what makes your head so red?
Runnin' in the hot sun puts fever in my head
Fever in my head O Lord fever in my head

Molly said to Tenbrooks you're lookin' mighty squirrel
Tenbrooks said to Molly I'm a-leavin' this old world
Leavin' this old world O Lord leavin' this old world

Out in California where Molly done as she pleased
Come back to old Kentucky got beat with all ease
Beat with all ease O Lord beat with all ease

The women all a-laughin' the child'n all a cryin'
The men all a-hollerin' old Tenbrooks a-flyin'
Old Tenbrooks a-flyin' O Lord old Tenbrooks a-flyin'

Kyper Kyper you're not A-ridin' right
Molly's beatin' old Tenbrooks clear out sight
Clear out of sight O Lord clear out of sight

Kyper Kyper Kyper my son
Give old Tenbrooks the bridle let old Tenbrooks run
Let old Tenbrooks run O Lord let old Tenbrooks run

Go and catch old Tenbrooks and hitch him in the shade




We're gonna bury old Molly in a coffin ready made
Coffin ready made O Lord coffin ready made

Overall Meaning

The song "Molly and Tenbrooks" by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys is a traditional bluegrass tune that tells the story of a horse race between two horses – Molly and Tenbrooks. The song starts with Molly being urged to run faster to beat Tenbrooks to the bright shining sun. Tenbrooks is described as a big bay horse with a shaggy mane who beat the Memphis train. As Tenbrooks and Molly race, Tenbrooks is seen straining every nerve to catch up with Molly. When Molly complains of the fever in her head due to running in the hot sun, Tenbrooks asks her why her head is so red. Molly retaliates by calling Tenbrooks a squirrel. The race ends with Molly being beaten by Tenbrooks, and the women laughing, children crying, and men cheering.


The song is about competition, and the horse race serves as a metaphor for competing in life. The two horses represent the two competitors, with Tenbrooks being the one who comes out on top. The race is tough, but Tenbrooks is determined to win, and his hard work pays off.


Line by Line Meaning

Run O Molly run, run O Molly run
Molly, you better start running quickly


Tenbrooks gonna beat you to the bright shinin' sun.
Tenbrooks is going to win the race and reach the finishing line first


To the bright shinin' sun O Lord to the bright shinin' sun
The race will end at the bright shinin' sun, which symbolizes the end of the journey of life


Tenbrooks was a big bay horse he wore that shaggy mane
Tenbrooks was a strong horse with a shaggy mane that made him look fiercer


He run all around Memphis he beat the Memphis train
Tenbrooks was so fast that he could run around Memphis and even beat the train


Beat the Memphis train O Lord beat the Memphis train
Tenbrooks was able to do what many thought was impossible, beat the Memphis train in a race


See that train a-comin' it's comin' round the curve
In the distance, there is a train that is approaching around the curve


See old Tenbrooks runnin' he's strainin' every nerve
Tenbrooks is running with all his might, putting all his strength into the race


Strainin' every nerve O Lord strainin' every nerve
Tenbrooks is exerting himself to the fullest, so much so that it seems like he is putting all of his nerves into the race


Tenbrooks said to Molly what makes your head so red?
Tenbrooks inquires as to why Molly's head is flushed with redness


Runnin' in the hot sun puts fever in my head
Molly's head is red from running in the sun, which is causing her body temperature to rise, giving her a fever


Fever in my head O Lord fever in my head
Molly is experiencing a fever in her head due to running in the sun


Molly said to Tenbrooks you're lookin' mighty squirrel
Molly says that Tenbrooks is nervous and fidgety


Tenbrooks said to Molly I'm a-leavin' this old world
Tenbrooks retorts that he is going to win the race and leave this world behind


Leavin' this old world O Lord leavin' this old world
Tenbrooks means that he is going to achieve greatness in this race that will elevate him to another level of existence beyond this one


Out in California where Molly done as she pleased
Molly had the freedom to do as she pleased in California


Come back to old Kentucky got beat with all ease
However, when she returned to Kentucky, she was defeated with ease


Beat with all ease O Lord beat with all ease
Molly was beaten by Tenbrooks with complete ease


The women all a-laughin' the child'n all a cryin'
The women were laughing, and the children were crying, as they saw Molly's defeat


The men all a-hollerin' old Tenbrooks a-flyin'
The men were shouting in excitement as they saw Tenbrooks running fast


Old Tenbrooks a-flyin' O Lord old Tenbrooks a-flyin'
Tenbrooks was running so fast that it seemed like he was flying


Kyper Kyper you're not A-ridin' right
Kyper was not riding his horse in the correct way


Molly's beatin' old Tenbrooks clear out sight
Molly was winning the race, and she had left Tenbrooks far behind


Clear out of sight O Lord clear out of sight
Molly was so far ahead that she could not even be seen anymore


Kyper Kyper Kyper my son
Kyper was being addressed by someone, possibly his father


Give old Tenbrooks the bridle let old Tenbrooks run
They suggest that Kyper should give Tenbrooks his freedom and let him run his own race


Let old Tenbrooks run O Lord let old Tenbrooks run
The suggestion was to let Tenbrooks run free without any hindrance


Go and catch old Tenbrooks and hitch him in the shade
After the race is over, they want to catch Tenbrooks and tie him up in a shady spot to rest


We're gonna bury old Molly in a coffin ready made
Molly was so tired that they talk about burying her in a pre-made coffin


Coffin ready made O Lord coffin ready made
They were prepared for Molly's defeat and had a coffin already made in anticipation




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BILL MONROE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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