Australian Bush Ballad Gospel
ballads
balladeer
bush ballads
bush poetry
merv webster
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Story behind the song
After just missing out on riding time an cowboy lays back in a Motel room to drown his woes and somwhere along the way picks up a book in the drawer and starts reading. The combination of whiskey and scripture causes a little confusion that leads him to checking it all out a bit more.
Lyrics
THAT MOTEL WHISKEY DREAM
I was lying in the motel feeling down and kind of blue
though the whiskey helped to numb the pain that I was going through.
Hell just one more second longer and I’d had that outlaw beat,
but that bay from hell knew diff’rent and he’d thrown me from my seat.
I was feeling pretty hazy as I lay there on that bed
when this white horse and a rider, who’d a gold crown on his head,
came a riding with a bow in hand and it appeared to me
that his heavenly war was righteous and he gained a victory.
CHORUS
Hell I think I’m going crazy, I’ve got horses on the brain
and rough riding’s got me rattled and a bloke has gone insane.
LORD I pray I haven’t lost my mind or worse my self-esteem.
Hey, perhaps the whiskey’s playing tricks and this is just a dream.
But another fiery red horse it appeared upon the scene
and the rider seated on him held a sword that looked right mean.
He was granted to take peace away and wage war here on earth,
but unrighteous man made slaughter and had little or no worth.
Then I saw and look a black horse and the rider he held scales
and he spreads a sick’ning message while he rides and loudly wails.
“It is famine! it is famine! that I bring to all the land;
so be sparing with the wine and oil and keep a stock on hand!”
CHORUS
Hell I think I’m going crazy, I’ve got horses on the brain
and rough riding’s got me rattled and a bloke has gone insane.
LORD I pray I haven’t lost my mind or worse my self-esteem.
Hey, perhaps the whiskey’s playing tricks and this is just a dream.
But the pale horse that came following it took away my breath,
‘cause the rider looked quite gruesome and his name was simply Death.
Hades followed close behind him and he played his ghastly role,
as he gathered every victim who had forfeited his soul.
Then I woke from mid the visions that had played upon my mind
and I saw the empty bottle and a black book of some kind.
It was open at Apocalypse and something deep inside
said - son do a little research on the horseman you saw ride.
CHORUS
Hell I think I’m going crazy, I’ve got horses on the brain
and rough riding’s got me rattled and a bloke has gone insane.
LORD I pray I haven’t lost my mind or worse my self-esteem.
And I’m giving up the whiskey and I’ll check out that there dream.
© Bush Poet and Ballad Writer -Merv Webster