Creeping Jane
Joseph Taylor Lyrics


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Verse 1

I once had a mare, and a very pretty one,
Her name it was Creeping Jane.
She never ran a race with a horse or a mare,
That she valued one single pin.
Fol rol the day, fol rol the rido,
That she valued one single pin

Verse 2

When Creeping Jane to the starting post she came,
She looked as lean as a hound.
And the people did say within themselves -
""She'll never run over the ground.""
Fol rol the day, fol rol the rido,
""She'll never run over the ground.""

Verse 3

When she came to the first mile post,
Creeping Jane was a-lingering behind.
The jockey clapped his whip to her little light neck,
And he said - ""My little lady, never mind.""
Fol rol the day, fol rol the rido,
And he said - ""My little lady, never mind.""

Verse 4

And when she came to the second mile post,
The jockey began to heart.
He cracked his whip to her little right side,
And she passed by them all like a dart.
Fol rol the day, fol rol the rido,
And she passed by them all like a dart.

Verse 5

Now Creeping Jane has won this race,
And she scarcely sweat one drop.
She's able to gallop the ground over now,
While the others can scarcely trot.
Fol rol the day, fol rol the rido,
While the others can scarcely trot.

Verse 6

Now Creeping Jane is dead and gone,
She's lying in the hard, cold ground.
I'll go straightway to my father's cot,
And beg her little body from the hounds.




Fol rol the day, fol rol the rido,
And beg her little body from the hounds.

Overall Meaning

Joseph Taylor’s song “Creeping Jane” tells the story of a mare named Creeping Jane who defies expectations and wins a horse race. The first verse introduces the mare and her name, and the fact that she is pretty. It also mentions that she never valued winning a race over a mere pin. In the second verse, the singer tells of how people doubted her chances of winning when she appeared at the starting post. The third verse sets the stage for the race and describes how she falls behind in the first mile. But, her jockey encourages her to keep going. In the fourth verse, she picks up speed and passes all the other horses to take the lead. In the fifth verse, it’s revealed that she wins the race with ease even though she barely breaks a sweat. The last verse is a melancholic tribute to Creeping Jane, who has since passed away. The singer ponders about retrieving her body from the hounds and taking her home.


Line by Line Meaning

I once had a mare, and a very pretty one,
I used to own a beautiful mare named Creeping Jane.


Her name it was Creeping Jane.
I named her after her slow and deliberate movements.


She never ran a race with a horse or a mare,
She never competed against other horses in a race.


That she valued one single pin.
She did not care about material possessions or winning races for the sake of it.


When Creeping Jane to the starting post she came,
When I brought her to the beginning of her first race,


She looked as lean as a hound.
She appeared thin and weak.


And the people did say within themselves -
People thought to themselves,


"She'll never run over the ground."
"She won't be able to run well in this race."


When she came to the first mile post,
When she reached the first mile marker,


Creeping Jane was a-lingering behind.
Creeping Jane was falling behind the other horses.


The jockey clapped his whip to her little light neck,
The jockey encouraged her by lightly hitting her neck with his whip,


And he said - "My little lady, never mind."
And he cheered her on by saying, "Don't worry, my dear."


And when she came to the second mile post,
When she arrived at the second mile marker,


The jockey began to heart.
The jockey's heart was filled with excitement and hope.


He cracked his whip to her little right side,
He hit her lightly on her right side with his whip,


And she passed by them all like a dart.
And she ran past all the other horses as fast as a dart.


Now Creeping Jane has won this race,
Creeping Jane has emerged victorious in this race,


And she scarcely sweat one drop.
Despite the victory, she did not even break a sweat.


She's able to gallop the ground over now,
She is now strong and capable of running long distances,


While the others can scarcely trot.
While the other horses struggle to keep up and barely trot along.


Now Creeping Jane is dead and gone,
Sadly, Creeping Jane has passed away,


She's lying in the hard, cold ground.
Her body is buried in the ground, where it is hard and cold.


I'll go straightway to my father's cot,
I will immediately return to my father's home,


And beg her little body from the hounds.
And kindly request that the hounds do not disturb her resting place.




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: TRAD

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