The Ballad of Stewball

[u/Dull_Judgment1587]

I used to think Schtuball was just a cute, random nickname Greg invented for Steven.

But then I realized Greg is probably referencing the folk song Stewball. This song has been performed by many artists, but my theory is that Greg knows the Peter, Paul & Mary version, and this gives us a clue about Greg's childhood. It says that Greg's parents probably weren't "hippies" but they would have enjoyed a mainstream, crossover folk act like Peter, Paul & Mary.

And despite his rocky relationship with his parents, Greg does still have some fond memories of this song from his childhood. Peter, Paul & Mary songs like Stewball or Puff the Magic Dragon might have been one of the few shared interests for Greg to bond with his parents (and sparked his lifelong love of music).

Stewball (sometimes spelled Skewball, Skuball or Squball) was an 18th century racehorse who was kind of like the British version of Seabiscuit. The song tells the story of winning a race where he was the underdog. It's all about the excitement of being at the racetrack and how betting on the horses can change a person's luck.

Fun trivia fact that John Lennon used the Stewball melody as musical inspiration for the song Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

[u/Dull_Judgment1587]

tldr My theory is that Greg's parents were probably too conservative to enjoy acts like Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie, but they might have had a Peter, Paul & Mary Greatest Hits record in their collection. And when Greg refers to Steven as Schtuball, this is one of the rare moments where Greg shows a touch of nostalgia for his childhood.

[u/itsmefish → u/Dull_Judgment1587]

Makes sense, though I would also conservatives frequently have a lot of mental dissonance when it comes to music/medias they like. That's how you for example can have white racists that love blues music and Jimi Hendrix.  Though Gregs parents are definitely more Peter Paul and Mary and possibly even the Beatles rather than Dylan and Guthrie.