Chestnut Mare lyrics

Chestnut Mare    (Roger McGuinn)

Always alone never with a herd
Prettiest mare I've ever seen
You'll have to take my word

CHORUS
     I'm gonna' 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 gonna' catch that horse if I can

Well I was up on Stony Ridge after this chestnut mare
I'd been chasin' her for weeks now.
Oh, I'd catch a little glimpse of her every once in a while
she'd be off takin' her meal, or bathin';
she was a real fine lady!

This one day I saw her standin' over there in a clearing,
so I snuck up to her nice and easy.
I waited for the wind to blow just the right way,
and I got my rope out and I flung it in the air!

Well I got her and I'm pullin' on her,
she's pullin' back like a mule tryin' to climb up a ladder.
I take this chance and I jump up on her.
Danged if I don't land right on top of her the first time.
Well she takes off runnin' up on to that ridge,
higher than I've ever been before.
We're runnin' along just fine,
and then she sees a sidewinder,
all coiled up ready to strike.
Well that spooks her, and she jumps off the edge
...me holdin' on!

Above the clouds higher than eagles were gliding
Suspended in the sky
Over the moon, straight for the sun we were riding
My eyes were filled with light
Behind us black walls, below us a bottomless canyon
Floating with no sound
Gulls far below, seemed to be suddenly rising
Exploding all around

And we were falling down this crevice
about a mile down there
I'd say! I look down and I see this red thing below us.
Turned out to be our reflection in a little pool of water,
about six feet wide, and only one foot deep
and we're comin' down at it!
Finally we hit and we splashed that pool dry.
Well that's when I lost my hold and she got away.
But I'm never gonna' give up,
I'm gonna' get her again some day!

The Byrds   "Untitled"
Columbia Records 1970
Roger McGuinn "Live From Mars"
Hollywood Records 1996