Chestnut Mare

Album: (Untitled) (1970)
Charted: 121
Play Video
  • 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!

    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

    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

    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

    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
    And 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

    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, I'm going to catch that horse, I'm going to catch that horse, if I can Writer/s: Jacques Levy, Roger Mcguinn
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Wixen Music Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 1

  • Bruce from WashingtonYou first paragraph misinterprets the song, the horse jumps off the cliff because of a rattlesnake:

    She's runnin' along just fine, till she stops
    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
see more comments

Editor's Picks

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?