Molly and Tenbrooks

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"Molly and Tenbrooks", also known as "The Racehorse Song" is, by some definitions the first recording in the bluegrass music genre. It was recorded by Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys. In 1947 The Stanley Brothers recorded it in the Blue Grass Boys' style, marking the first recorded adoption of this style by a second band.

[edit] Song plot

The song deals with a match race between two champion horses. According to most song versions, Tenbrooks "ran all around Memphis and beat the Memphis train," while "out in California Molly done as she pleased, came back to Kentucky and got beat with all ease."

Tenbrooks appears again later in the bluegrass/folk song "Blue Mule" inwhich the horse is pitted against a blue mule who is the child of Babe the Blue Ox. Peter Rowan sings "Blue Mule" on the legendary "Muleskinner" album featuring Bill Keith, John Kahn, David Grisman and others.

[edit] Historical facts

This song is known to be based on a historical race. Although today a horse race of 1.5 miles is considered long, in the Nineteenth Century, horses regularly raced distances of many miles. The song commemorates one of the last such races, run as a four mile long match race between two champions, the "Eastern" horse Ten Broeck and the California filly, Mollie McCarty. Ten Broeck was foaled in 1872 and is buried at Nantura Stock Farm near Midway, Kentucky, where his grave can still be seen. Ten Broeck was elected into the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1982.