Heavy Horses

 

by Jethro Tull

from the album "Heavy Horses"

(8:57)Minutes

Chrysalis Records Ltd 1978

VK41175

IIDX2943

 

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.

 

Words reproduced without authors permission