"The Ballad of Robban's First Ride"

Hi. I'm very new to LJ and just found an old post (2005-7-18) by singer_d , asking about "The Ballad of Robban's First Ride." As it's been so many years, I pasted part of singer_d's post below.

Malvina Reynolds did write this song about folksingers John Roberts and Tony Barrand and the baby born in the back of their car. Margaret MacArthur also recorded it on her album, The Old Songs. You can find the lyrics at http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/MALVINA/mr009.htm.

Note: According to Tony, the car was not second-hand, despite Malvina's lyrics.


@ 2005-07-18 14:11:00

Theme: It Really Happened! Well, mostly....


I tried and failed to find any documentation about this song online. The only performer I ever heard sing it was Margaret MacArthur, and this is my dim memory of her introduction at a concert many, many years ago, added to the skimpy liner notes of the ancient cassette I ripped it from. Tom and Mary Toleno were renting a little cabin from the MacArthurs, who were away on November 14th, 1972, when Mary went into labor during an early Vermont blizzard and they were trapped on the property by a fallen tree. Tom called a couple of other friends, and incidentally folk musicians, John Roberts and Tony Barrand, to meet them on the other side of the tree with their car and take them to the hospital. The next weekend, John and Tony were performing at a tribute festival for Malvina Reynolds at Cafe Lena, and of course were very excited about what had happened and told everyone. Master of Ceremonies Michael Cooney joked at the evening concert that Malvina was in the habit of writing a song before breakfast every morning, and wagered she couldn't complete a new song in time for her performance the next day. This is what she wrote the next morning before breakfast. Solo by Margaret.
The Ballad of Robban's First Ride (The Baby Was Born In the Car)