In the early dawn
A stallion white
Prances the hills
In the morning light
His bridle is painted
With thunder and gold
Orchids and dragons
Pale knights of old
He´s the horse of the ages past

And now the children run
To see the stallion on the hill
Bringing bags of apples
And of clover they have filled
And the white horse
Tells his stories
Of the days
Now passed and gone
And the children stand
A-wondering
Believing
Every song
How brightly glows the past

When the sun is high
Comes a mare so red
A-trampling the graves
Of the living and dead
Her mantle is heavy
With mirrors and glass
All is reflected
When the red mare does pass
She´s the horse of the here and now

And now there is confusion
´mongst the children on the hill
They cling to one another
And no longer can be still
While the red mare´s
Voice is trembling
With a rare and
Mighty call
The children
Start remembering
The bearers
And the the pall
And though their
Many-colored sweaters
Are reflecting
In the glass
And though the sun
Shines down upon them
They are frightened
In the grass
How stark is the here and now

When the night does fall
Comes a stallion black
So proud and tall
He never looks back
He wears him no emaralds
Silver or gold
Not even a covering
To keep him from cold
He´s the horse of the years to come

And I will get me down
Before this steed upon my knees
And sing to him the sorrows
Of a thousand centuries
And the children
Now will scatter
As their mothers
Call them home
For the sadness
Of the evening horse
No child
Has ever known
And I will
Hang about him
A bell that´s
Never rung
And thank him
For the many words
Which from his throat
Have never sprung
And I´ll thank God
And all the angels
That the stallion
Of the evening
The black horse
Of the future
Comes to earth but has no tongue


Lyrics submitted by planetearth

Three Horses Lyrics as written by Joan Baez

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Three Horses song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

3 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    This is one of my favourite songs of Joan Baez. I think the meaning is open to interpretation depending on where one is at and can have many meanings. A bit like a parable. For me there is so much depth to this which I luv of course. For me the horses represent the stages of life and and their meaning. The children are all of us and how we respond to those stages. The horses colours represent somehow the energy around these stages White being for the possible innocence of childhood, red representing the passion of adulthood and black for me seems like the shadow from a Jungian perspective of an unknown future. There's so much more to this song, but like I wrote it's beauty is in the eye of beholder so to speak. It's on Youtube for those who've never heard it. Joan Baez was primarily a political activist and fought for human rights all her life. She attained an award through Amnesty International as recognition for her lifelong commitment to peace and justice for all. Her ideologies stemmed from her Quaker background and her songs often have a true spiritual essence like this one.

    luminairon April 15, 2013   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.