Their collaboration with legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller gave them a unique sound that was very humorous most of the time. Their first huge hit came with "Young Blood" and "Searchin'." They also had success with hits such as "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," and "Little Egypt."
Gardner was still touring with The Coasters as late as 2005, although he is the only surviving original member. Gardner is now semi-retired and has handed the reins over to his son Carl Jr.
In 1987, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, thus becoming the first group to be inducted (the other inductees at the time were solo acts). In 2000, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame. In 2004, "Young Blood" was #414 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs Of All Time. "Young Blood" and "Yakety Yak" were part of The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. The band's song "Down In Mexico" appears on the new film, Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof.
Stewball
The Coasters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
Said I′m a-gonna get fifty back
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, I watched them horses get in line
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
A horse named Stewball sure looked fine
Well, the odds were ninety-one to three
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
And then Stewball smiled and he winked at me
Run, run, come on run
Run, run, giddy up run
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
Their horses took off lightning fast
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
Did Stewball he was a-running last
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, I got down on my knees to pray
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
Please make Stewball win today
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It began to thunder, it started to pour
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
That horse took off like man o' war
Run, run, come on run
Run, run, giddy up run
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
The rain just kept on a-pouring down
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
And them horses done slipping widing around
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, somebody slapped me on the back
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
Say Stewball loves a muddy track
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I got so nervous I tore my clothes
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
Did Stewball leading by a nose
Run, run, come on run
Run, run, giddy up run
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
Come on Stewball run
Come on Stewball run
The lyrics to The Coasters's song "Stewball" tell the story of a person who goes to a racehorse track with two dollars and hopes to make a significant return on their bet. They spot a horse named Stewball and are impressed by its appearance. Despite the odds being against Stewball at ninety-one to three, the horse winks at the person, giving them confidence.
As the race begins, Stewball initially falls behind the other horses. The person, desperate for a win, gets down on their knees to pray for Stewball's victory. Suddenly, the weather turns stormy, with thunder and heavy rain. However, the rain doesn't stop Stewball from picking up speed and running like a champion.
The rain continues to pour, and the horses struggle to maintain their footing on the slippery track. Someone tells the person that Stewball excels on muddy tracks, bringing a sense of relief. Nervously, the person tears their clothes due to the excitement, but Stewball manages to pull ahead, leading by a nose at the finish line.
Overall, "Stewball" is a tale of hope, luck, and the unpredictability of horse racing. It showcases the thrill and anticipation of betting on an underdog and witnessing its triumph against all odds.
Line by Line Meaning
I took two dollars to the racehorse track
I brought a small amount of money to the horse racing track
Uh, huh, run, uh, huh, run
The excitement and anticipation of the race is building
Said I'm a-gonna get fifty back
I hope to win fifty dollars in return
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Expressing enthusiasm and agreement
Well, I watched them horses get in line
I observed the horses preparing for the race
A horse named Stewball sure looked fine
One particular horse named Stewball caught my eye as being impressive
Well, the odds were ninety-one to three
The chances of Stewball winning seemed very low
And then Stewball smiled and he winked at me
Surprisingly, Stewball gave me a hopeful gesture, making me believe in his potential to win
Run, run, come on run
Encouraging Stewball to give his best effort in the race
Run, run, giddy up run
Urging Stewball to move faster and perform his best
Said I bet on Stewball cause he might win, win, win
I placed a bet on Stewball because I believed he had a chance to win
I bet on Stewball cause he might win
I placed my bet on Stewball in the hopes that he would emerge victorious
Their horses took off lightning fast
The other horses started the race with incredible speed
Did Stewball he was a-running last
Unfortunately, Stewball was initially behind all the other horses
Well, I got down on my knees to pray
Feeling desperate, I resorted to praying for Stewball's success
Please make Stewball win today
I pleaded for divine intervention in favor of Stewball's victory
It began to thunder, it started to pour
Suddenly, a thunderstorm started with heavy rain
That horse took off like man o' war
With the rain pouring down, Stewball sprinted ahead with incredible speed, reminiscent of the legendary racehorse Man o' War
The rain just kept on a-pouring down
The rain continued to fall heavily
And them horses done slipping widing around
The other horses were struggling to maintain their footing on the wet track
Well, somebody slapped me on the back
Someone excitedly patted me on the back
Say Stewball loves a muddy track
They informed me that Stewball performs exceptionally well on muddy tracks
I got so nervous I tore my clothes
I became extremely anxious to the point of accidentally ripping my garments
Did Stewball leading by a nose
To my surprise, Stewball was narrowly in the lead
Come on Stewball run
Encouraging Stewball to continue running with determination and speed
Writer(s): Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber
Contributed by Thomas A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@HarveyEspatchelowe
Oh, man! I think it's the greatest horse racing song of all times! Thank you so much!
@johnu1100
I was lying in my bed with the mumps in 1960 when I first heard this song. I think I never heard it again until about 4 years ago. These are amazing memories!
@joedavis4150
Thank you! When talking about The Coasters, one can only rave!
@HarveyEspatchelowe
It's almost Derby Time...so, I'm back, diggin' this one! Thanks so much for sharing it, Markowee!
@jazmaan
"His father was a mudder. His mudder was a mudder!"
@ricknelson69
Fantastic!!
@HarveyEspatchelowe
Stewball! The unofficial theme song of The Kentucky Derby! Well...not actually...but at my house it is, you know...
@srercrcr
Stewball was racehorse. He never drank water....he only drank wine. 😊
@markowee
Yes it is.