Topic: The opening vocal phrase of "pony blues"

[banjochris]

But I can't figure how anyone can hear "catch" for the 3rd syllable. It doesn't start with the hard attack of a "k" sound and it clearly doesn't end in a "ch" sound. Even those who promote it state the "ch" is left off, but I don't hear a "t" sound either, so all I hear that might be part of "catch" is the flat "a" sound, very de-emphasized. 
Wax

I can hear the hard "c" and the "ch" both quite clearly in the first line, and the "c" clearly with the "ch" a bit swallowed but still there in the second line.
Chris

[Prof Scratchy]

To my hearing aid assisted ears his opening words are ?Better take my pony, saddle up my black mare?. The rest of the song sounds to me as though he?s singing in Albanian, Finnish or Hungarian!


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[Chezztone]

Hey Folks -- Thanks for using your ears and minds to tackle this mystifying phrase. I have two points to add:
1. "Shed" certainly can mean to rid oneself of something. E.g., shed one's clothes, shed one's inhibitions. Maybe that meaning comes from the idea of putting something into a shed to get rid of it, which would make it even more likely that someone with an agricultural background would use it.
2. It might be significant that "shed" sounds like "Shet," the first syllable of Shetland, which is a word Patton uses often before "pony." In this song, though, we all seem to agree that the syllable after "shed" (or whatever) is the word "my." But could it be something different, and he is talking again about his Shetland pony?
Thanks. Cheers, Chezz

[chickenlegs]

""Shed" certainly can mean to rid oneself of something. E.g., shed one's clothes, shed one's inhibitions."

"though, we all seem to agree that the syllable after "shed" (or whatever) is the word "my." But could it be something different, and he is talking again about his Shetland pony?"

Hey Chezztone,
While I can appreciate that you're thinking outside of the box, the fourth syllable has never been at question. I feel certain that it is "my" as a complete word. So I'm limiting my query to the first three syllables, but if you come up with something that fits, I would like to hear it.
As to "shed" being the word of the third syllable. I've never been definite about it, it's just what I hear. While I think it's a possibility, and could make sense, some others think it's totally implausible as there appears to be no other instances of it's use within the country blues genre. I'm inclined to agree that it's unlikely the word, so it's still an open question to me. And yes, it is mystifying. Thanks for your input. 

[chickenlegs]

To my hearing aid assisted ears his opening words are ?Better take my pony, saddle up my black mare?.

I'd been assuming that this three syllable unknown part of the phrase ("blank blank blank my pony") represents three different words.
Your post made me realize that this could be a false assumption. It could be two words, or even one.
It may be adding complexity to confusion, but it does broaden the scope. Thanks Professor.

[chickenlegs]

It might be significant that "shed" sounds like "Shet," the first syllable of Shetland, which is a word Patton uses often before "pony." In this song, though, we all seem to agree that the syllable after "shed" (or whatever) is the word "my." But could it be something different, and he is talking again about his Shetland pony?

Giving this more thought, I suppose Patton could have said it out of habit (a slip), but I don't think that he would have repeated it.
Or it could've been used as a nickname for his pony (e.g. "she is Shet, my pony"), but there are no other sources for this (that I know of), so it seems unlikely.

[chickenlegs]

I'm leaning towards "It is..." or "It's just..."--or maybe a drawn out "It's"-- (as Charley pronounced it) for the first two syllables. Then followed by something that sounds like "catch" in the first line and "get" in the second line.

Thanks for this Stuart, it got me back on track, l think you may be more than half right.

My last best guess and analysis of what Patton sang on these lines.
"It is get my pony, saddle up my black mare", both times that it's sung.
We hear this differently because Patton's diction squashes the syllables, making it sound as one word.
After listening repeatedly for suggested variations. I can hear what others hear as the "c" in "catch". I think this is because the "s" of "is" is blending with the "g" of "get", giving us "sget" which creates a sort of "sket" sound. And that created "k" sound is the "c" sound heard in "catch" (possibly heard as "ketch"?). Similarly, I can hear "sh" in "shed" because the mixed consonants fool my ear. And the "need to" I was hearing as "nee tuh" was due to a different pairing of consonant and vowel sounds (e.g. "eet uhs", "it is" vs "ee tuh s", "need to s" with the "s" belonging to "shed") and my brain assuming the rest, if this makes any sense.
When listening for "get", I hear the ending "t" sound pretty clearly the first time, but the second time it's clipped and the ending consonant sound is hardly there, with maybe a hint of a "t", or a "d", or an "n", to my ears. I can't hear a "ch" sound ending the word, either time it's sung.
Disclaimer; if you listen for "it is get" and hear it, this may or may not be what Patton actually sings.
Warning; repeated listening may be harmful to your health.
Side effects include; dizziness, confusion, and mental fatigue.

Thanks to banjochris for offering "it is" in the first reply to my post.
Ironically, in my initial reply back to banjochris I suggested that it could be "it is get my pony". If only I had listened?

[Rivers]

I've always thought it was a contraction of the word 'saddle', like so:

Well it's sad' my pony, saddle up my black mare

AYH seems to sing that on his version; I've heard him play it up close as well as on the Big Mama's Door recording, but then uses 'hitch up' for the second verb. So who knows. I'll go with "sad' my pony" personally.

[Mr.OMuck]

https://www.equisearch.com/horse-health-care/shed-out-your-horses-winter-coat-tips-20150

[Rivers]

Mr O', thanks. I'm slowly starting to come over to the "shed" side after reading the hoss article & then listening to the version on Tefteller's 2004 calendar CD. Could well be, could well be...

[Lyndvs]

I think the word is "hitched"..."Hitch...ed up My pony..."