Comments: 10

• Althea Heeler from I’ll Never TellI think it’s a little deeper. Pony boy was a character from the outsiders. Betts was an alcoholic and if I was a betting man there were probably other substances. A pony boy is a kind of golden boy archetype. Self sacrificing, sensitive, and intellectual type that care for people that couldn’t/didn’t care about themselves or others the same way. A kind of enabler that exists in certain groups as a bit of an outsider that carry a lot of the unseen/unspoken emotional weight for an addict or alcoholic. There’s usually resentment on both sides of the dynamic. I think the song is actually saying: I can get as wild as I want (it’s my nature) and I can count on pony boy to look out for my and make sure I can get home safe. So Bett’s uncle or who ever it’s about was probably an enabler/caregiver. I’ve been called a pony boy. I use to be cool until I took an arrow to the knee. I try to stay golden but eventually the burden of remembering and the burden that comes when you’re can’t do it anymore and those who were under your protection don’t figure out how to get out of the cycles. Anyway it sounds like a really “natural good time” or is the line “a not so good time” maybe it’s both… anyway my pony and I are headed toward that there sunset. Can’t take u with us this time wild man maybe we’ll see you again in the valley. It’s a metaphor tho so I guess it’s whatever it means to you right?
• Oneco Girl from FlActually, it was a pony I know for a fact this song was written by Dicky about his uncle. It is a good time story but it’s a factual story, at the end of night his uncle would get on his horse and he’d take him home. There’s nothing dark or hidden about this. It’s just a fun story that happened to be true. I knew the bar, the uncle and the town where it took place and so do a lot of other people.
• Spider from North CarolinaUncle Bud, who is now deceased, told me in plantation days when owners would go to houses of ill repute to gamble and gambol a boy with his pony would walk the horse or carraige of the owner back home at the end of the night.
• Dirty Ole Cracker from UsaYou're all wrong. I had a great-great uncle who claimed that his grandad had a black slave up to the point in time he was old enough to sit a horse and handle it, and he would ride around on his back, just as if he was a pony. That is the really dark, and evil irony of this seemingly carefree song.
• Bobbie from PhxHate to disagree, spoons at the end of the track are that southern gaited pony racking home. No mustang car.
• Mitchell from Las Vegas"Pony Boy," which showcases Betts' acoustic slide playing was heavily inspired by Robert Johnson in its building rhythm, and Blind Willie McTell influenced its humor. The song was based on a true story involving his uncle, who would take his horse out to avoid driving under the influence (DUI) charges, as the horse knew the direction home. Williams played upright bass on the track to keep it an all-acoustic affair, and Trucks played percussion by banging a piece of plywood on the floor.
• Kim from Virginia Second, my brother had a '69 Mustang, he called it his "Pony".
• Kim from Virginia After some research, I believe Dickey was referring to a friend who drove a Mustang, and would run him home in the morning, after a night out.
• Drew from B\'ham, AlAnyone ever read the book and/or watched the movie "The Outsiders"? The main star of the story is Ponyboy Curtis. Folks would ask Ponyboy "Is that your *real* name?"
• Dan White from Hudson, MaI'm not entirely sure, but I think it comes from the term "pony up!", "pony up to the bar, boys!", or "Who's gonna 'pony up' for these drinks?" The "pony boy" is the guy who's buyin' the drinks, the guy with the money. I think he's referring to his drinkin' buddy, who not only pays for the booze but also carries him home cause he's legless! Just my two cents worth.

see more comments