the bells of rhymney

When I listen to the harmonies at the very end of this song I expect the music to suddenly jump about a half a second forward because that’s where the old LP had a scratch in it and the needle skipped forward. That’s the way I learned it as a youngster. If I had time I’d go in and put a digital scratch in the digital groove so I can hear it the way it was meant to be.

Oh what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Blaina
Put the vandals in court
Say the bells of Newport
All would be well if, if, if, if, if
Say the green bells of Cardiff
Why so worried sisters? Why?
Sang the silver bells of Wye
And what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Oh what will you give me?
Say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future?
Say the brown bells of Merthyr
Who made the mine owner?
Say the black bells of Rhondda
And who killed the miner?
Say the grim bells of Blaina

chestnut mare

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 seemed
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

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