The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I've seen it all boys, I've been all over
Been everywhere in the whole wide world
I rode the high line with Old Blind Darby
I danced real slow with Ida Jane
I was full of wonder when I left Murfreesboro
Now I am full of hollow on Maxwell Street
And I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
I walked from Natchez to Hushpukena
I built a fire by the side of the road
I worked for nothin' in a Belzoni saw mill
And I caught a blind out on the B and O
Talullah's friendly, Belzoni ain't so
A forty-four will get you ninety-nine
I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
I run my race with Burnt-Face Jake
I gave him a Manzanita cross
I lived on nothin' but dreams and train smoke
Somehow my watch and chain got lost
I wish I was home, in Evelyn's kitchen
With old Gyp curled around my feet
I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
Been everywhere in the whole wide world
I rode the high line with Old Blind Darby
I danced real slow with Ida Jane
I was full of wonder when I left Murfreesboro
Now I am full of hollow on Maxwell Street
And I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
I walked from Natchez to Hushpukena
I built a fire by the side of the road
I worked for nothin' in a Belzoni saw mill
And I caught a blind out on the B and O
Talullah's friendly, Belzoni ain't so
A forty-four will get you ninety-nine
I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
I run my race with Burnt-Face Jake
I gave him a Manzanita cross
I lived on nothin' but dreams and train smoke
Somehow my watch and chain got lost
I wish I was home, in Evelyn's kitchen
With old Gyp curled around my feet
I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
I hope my pony
I hope my pony
I hope my pony knows the way back home
Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira, edited by william g.
Pony Lyrics as written by Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC
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[I agree with some of your thoughts dogbox, but think you're a little off on some others.]
I've seen it all boys I've been all over Been everywhere in the Whole wide world I rode the high line With old blind Darby I danced real slow With Ida Jane
[Agree that this is a man looking back on his life. Strikes the tone of an older man about to give advice to a younger person that reminds him of himself in his own younger days.]
I was full of wonder When I left Murfreesboro Now I am full of hollow On Maxwell street...
[I disagree this is about him being shot. I think he's saying when he left home he was full of hopes and dreams, but know he's empty inside, hopeless and forlorn.]
And I hope my Pony I hope my Pony I hope my Pony Knows the way back home
[This to me is another way of saying you can't ever go home again. He wants to return to those innocent days of his youth, but he's done and seen so many bad things he doesn't know how to get his innocence back. I see the pony as giving himself up to fate or God. He hopes that they'll be able to somehow lead him to a place where he'll be able to live like he imagined life would be like in his youth]
I walked from Natcher To Hushpukena I built a fire by the side Of the road I worked for nothin in a Belzoni saw mill. I caught a Blind out on the B and O Talullah's friendly Belzoni ain't so A 44'll get you 99
[I agree that the last line means a 44 magnum will get you 99 years in jail. I disagree that it was necessarily over a love triangle. I think this verse is about his life after leaving home. He roughed it a little bit, then ended up getting a job at a sawmill. Whether the towns name or the sawmills owners name was Belzoni I don't know. Either way they ended up ripping him off. He then committed some sort of crime involving a 44 magnum. My guess would be killing the Saw Mill owner or manager. He then hopped the B and O railroad out of town.]
(chorus)
I run my race with burnt face Jake Gave him a Manzanita cross I lived on nothin But dreams and train smoke Somehow my watch and chain Got lost. I wish I was home in Evelyn's Kitchen With old Gyp curled around my feet
[He went on the run with another guy named burnt face Jake who died along the way. No details how, but he buried him and made a cross for his grave out of a Manzanita evergreen. At this point his life was spent constantly on the run. I think the pocket watch is an allusion to his life (time) and that he feels he "lost" or "wasted" it. Evelyn's kitchen and Gyp are warm memories of his youth and he wishes he could feel that way again.]
(Chorus)
These are all good thoughts. Belzoni and Talullah are both towns in the Mississippi Delta,so I figure the sawmill was in Belzoni. He walked from Natchez to Hushpukena which are both towns in Mississippi also. Belzoni and Talullah are in between. This could be a reference to the trail of tears that the Cherokee walked along the Natchez Trace. Also, in the beginning of the industrial revolution a man's watch and chain were worn with pride and dignity, hence the man was proud and dignified. His watch and chain got lost, somehow he lost his pride and dignity. Hmmmm. Maxwell Street is the birthplace of the Chicago blues where black bluesman from the delta migrated. This guy was black, from Murfreesboro, MS who is now a broke acoholic, homeless living in Chicago. Sold his soul, now he's hollow.
Manzanita is a evergreen shrub found in the northwest US and throughout California. It means "little apple". I think Waits just likes it and used it in the song. Probably did reference a cross on a grave.
I like this interpretation very much. The only things that I see that weren't my original feelings are that instead of giving advice to a younger man, I see him as simply reflecting on his life, lonely and cold. But that's just what strikes me. I do like the advice approach as well.<br /> <br /> The other is that, for some reason, I tend to see Evelyn as his wife from earlier days. Maybe he burned out on his life and the positive things in it were lost when he left it. Taking for granted the good in his life, not seeing the happiness security of the life he lived, he hit the road to find something... Maybe to find himself??? In any case, I see his memories with Evelyn and his dog Gyp as happier times and wishing he could return. Just can't find his way back there, if it even exists anymore, for whatever reason...<br /> <br /> All in all, though, I do like your interpretation. Your's has enlightened and reinforced mine.
I like the interpretation, but I think there is more to the chorus. His life's journey has brought him all over the world, and he senses it's coming to a close. He realizes he will not make it back home (whether literally or figuratively) in his lifetime. But he hopes his horse can get him back, even if it's just his body, to a place he can call home.