Thomas Francis McNulty

Thomas Francis McNulty (1858 or 1859 – 1932) was an American Democratic Party (United States) political operative and epithetist. He was at one time Sheriff of Baltimore, Maryland. McNulty is most remembered, however, as the composer of the children’s song "The Old Grey Mare".

McNulty was called back to Baltimore from an appointment at the Government Printing Office to assist with the flagging mayoral re-election campaign of Ferdinand Latrobe (D). McNulty composed "The Old Grey Mare" with its pun on words as a political epithet of the aging Baltimore Mayor Latrobe, who also drove about in a carriage, which was drawn by a decrepit old mare that he had kept for years. The song so endeared the Baltimore voting public to Latrobe that he was re-elected as Mayor of Baltimore against all odds. McNulty was thereafter recruited to work for the presidential campaigns of both Stephen Grover Cleveland (D) (1837–1908) and William Jennings Bryan (D) (1860–1925). McNulty died of a heart attack in Baltimore, Maryland in 1932 at the age of 73.

For the reader's ease of understanding, the archaic term “whiffletree” in the song below does not refer to a variety of tree, but, rather, to the cross shaped wooden bar that connects a harnessed draft horse or mule to the carriage which it pulls.

"The Old Grey Mare"

{earliest incarnation}

The Old Grey Mare,
It ain’t what it used to be,
Ain’t what it used to be,
Ain’t what it used to be.
The old grey mare,
It ain’t what it used to be,
Many long years ago.

The Old Grey Mare,
It kicked on the whiffletree,
Kicked on the whiffletree,
Kicked on the whiffletree.
The old grey mare,
It kicked on the whiffletree,
Many long years ago.

Many long years ago,
Many long years ago,
The old grey mare,
It kicked on the whiffletree,
Many long years ago.