Byrds - Chestnut Mare lyrics

(R. McGuinn, J. Levy)

Always alone,

never with a herd

Prettiest mare I've ever seen,

you'll have to take my word

I'm going to catch that horse if I can

and when I do I'll give her my brand

Well I was up on Stony Ridge

after this chestnut mare, been chasing her for weeks

Oh I'd catch a glimpse of her every once in a while

taking her meal, bathing, fine lady

This one day I happen to be real close to her

and I saw her standing over there

so I snuck up on her nice and easy

got my rope out

and I flung it in the air!

CHORUS

I'm going to catch that horse if I can

and when I do I'll give her my brand

And we'll be friends for life

She'll be just like a wife

I'm going to catch that horse if I can

And I got her and I'm pulling on her

And she's pulling back like this mule going up a ladder

And I take a choice and I jump right up on her

Damned if I don't land right on top of her

And she takes off, running up onto the ridge

higher than I've ever been before

She's running along just fine

'til she stops and something spooked her

it's a sidewinder, all coiled and ready to strike

she doesn't know what to do for a second,

but then, she jumps off the edge, me holding on

(Canyon music!)

Above the hills, higher than eagles were gliding

suspended in the sky

over the hill

straight for the sun we were riding

my eyes were filled with light

behind those black walls

below was a bottomless canyon

floating with no sound

ghosts far below

seemed to be suddenly rising

exploding all around

(Chorus)

We were falling

down this crevice

about about a mile down it seem

and I looked down

And I see this red thing below us coming up real fast

and it's our reflection that's

this little pool of water about six feet wide and one foot deep

We're falling down right through it

We hit, we splashed it dry

that's when I lost my hold

and she got away

but I'm gonna try and get her again some day

(Chorus)