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Heavy Horses Lyrics
Iron-clad feather-feet pounding the dust
An October's day, towards evening
Sweat embossed veins standing proud to the plough
Salt on a deep chest seasoning
Last of the line at an honest day's toil
Turning the deep sod under
Flint at the fetlock, chasing the bone
Flies at the nostrils plunder.
The Suffolk, the Clydesdale, the Percheron vie
with the Shire on his feathers floating
Hauling soft timber into the dusk
to bed on a warm straw coating.
Heavy Horses, move the land under me
Behind the plough gliding --- slipping and sliding free
Now you're down to the few
And there's no work to do
The tractor's on its way.
Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed
to keep the old line going.
And we'll stand you abreast at the back of the wood
behind the young trees growing
To hide you from eyes that mock at your girth,
and your eighteen hands at the shoulder
And one day when the oil barons have all dripped dry
and the nights are seen to draw colder
They'll beg for your strength, your gentle power
your noble grace and your bearing
And you'll strain once again to the sound of the gulls
in the wake of the deep plough, sharing.
Standing like tanks on the brow of the hill
Up into the cold wind facing
In stiff battle harness, chained to the world
Against the low sun racing
Bring me a wheel of oaken wood
A rein of polished leather
A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky
Brewing heavy weather.
Bring a song for the evening
Clean brass to flash the dawn
across these acres glistening
like dew on a carpet lawn
In these dark towns folk lie sleeping
as the heavy horses thunder by
to wake the dying city
with the living horseman's cry
At once the old hands quicken ---
bring pick and wisp and curry comb ---
thrill to the sound of all
the heavy horses coming home.
An October's day, towards evening
Sweat embossed veins standing proud to the plough
Salt on a deep chest seasoning
Last of the line at an honest day's toil
Turning the deep sod under
Flint at the fetlock, chasing the bone
Flies at the nostrils plunder.
with the Shire on his feathers floating
Hauling soft timber into the dusk
to bed on a warm straw coating.
Behind the plough gliding --- slipping and sliding free
Now you're down to the few
And there's no work to do
The tractor's on its way.
to keep the old line going.
And we'll stand you abreast at the back of the wood
behind the young trees growing
To hide you from eyes that mock at your girth,
and your eighteen hands at the shoulder
And one day when the oil barons have all dripped dry
and the nights are seen to draw colder
They'll beg for your strength, your gentle power
your noble grace and your bearing
And you'll strain once again to the sound of the gulls
in the wake of the deep plough, sharing.
Up into the cold wind facing
In stiff battle harness, chained to the world
Against the low sun racing
Bring me a wheel of oaken wood
A rein of polished leather
A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky
Brewing heavy weather.
Clean brass to flash the dawn
across these acres glistening
like dew on a carpet lawn
In these dark towns folk lie sleeping
as the heavy horses thunder by
to wake the dying city
with the living horseman's cry
At once the old hands quicken ---
bring pick and wisp and curry comb ---
thrill to the sound of all
the heavy horses coming home.
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
It's about the decline of the use of horses in farming and other places, and how the singer wishes to see the return of these once proud animals to work.
One of Tull's best, in my opinion, and probably one of my favorite songs, period.
Of intriguing note, is that Jethro Tull (the agriculturist), advocated the use of horses over oxen and other beasts. The band seems to love singing about the industrial revolution.
I think Heavy Horses was Jethro Tull's most under-rated album. listen to it again if you haven't recently. You'll develop a profound appreciation for it.
It's pretty good. I'm still waitng for Jethro Tull to beat Aqualung with something other than Thick as a Brick (my favorite album ever), because I know it can be done.
One of my favorite Tull songs. I can't even explain why, I just really like it.
To inpraiseoffolly, that's all a matter of opinion. I would consider "Heavy Horses" and "Broadsword and the Beast" better than "Aqualung."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmMyLBJk-Qw&mode=related&search=
It took a while for me to really understand this song. I love how Ian Anderson sounds so sad and tired...I haven't listened to anything from "Stormwatch" but I know that it's the third part of the "folk trilogy"
Second part. Stormwatch is the third.
Second part. Stormwatch is the third.
@Juniper Prism
@Juniper Prism
You should definitely check out Stormwatch, it's great.
You should definitely check out Stormwatch, it's great.
love this song but some bits dont make sense ! forgive my ignorance but I refer to the lyric "iron clad feathered feet pounding the dust... on an October day , towards evening ".... why would anyone be ploughing a field with shire horses in the evening in OCTOBER?
Because early October is the time to sow winter wheat, according to: -
Because early October is the time to sow winter wheat, according to: -
http://www.ukagriculture.com/four_seasons/four_seasons.cfm?str_month=October&intro=no
http://www.ukagriculture.com/four_seasons/four_seasons.cfm?str_month=October&intro=no
"The period between late September and early October is generally regarded as the prime time for drilling winter wheat."
"The period between late September and early October is generally regarded as the prime time for drilling winter wheat."
@pipster Winter wheat, perhaps?
@pipster Winter wheat, perhaps?
I think the reason I like this song so much is for one, the folky element. The melody sounds like a combination of century-old folk tunes and when played with the flute, can't help but make me think of olden-day ditties. Then, the beautiful vocals and harmonies make me romanticize the days when horses were a necessary part of life...then slam..."Heavy Horses!" The chorus doesn't let you forget you're listening to a rocking Jethro Tull song, and it works in the context of the lyrics. Now, when all these elements are combined, as well as many others I'm sure big Tull fans would berate me for not including in this paragraph about what makes this song great, you get the urge to call this one of their best.