To the rich man's bright lodges, I ride in this wind On my good horse, I call you, my shiney Black Bess To the playhouse of fortune to take the bright silver And gold you have taken from somebody else
And as we go riding in the damp foggy midnight You snort, my good pony, and you give me your best For you know and I know, good horse, amongst the rich ones How oftimes we go there an unwelcome guest
I've never took food from the widows and orphans And never a hard working man I oppressed So take your pace easy, for home soon like lightening We soon will be riding, my shiny Black Bess
No fat rich man's pony can ever overtake you And there's not a rider from the east to the west Could hold you a light in this dark mist and midnight When the potbellied thieves chase their unwelcome guest
I don't know, good horse, as we trot in this dark here That robbing the rich is for worse or for best They take it by stealing and lying and gambling And I take it my way, my shiny Black Bess
I treat horses good and I'm friendly to strangers I ride and your running makes my guns talk the best And the rangers and deputies are hired by the rich man To catch me and hang me, my shining Black Bess
Yes, they'll catch me napping one day and they'll kill me And then I'll be gone, but that won't be my end For my guns and my saddle will always be filled By unwelcome travellers and other brave men
And they'll take the money and spread it out equal Just like the Bible and the prophets suggest But the men that go riding to help these poor workers The rich will cut down like an unwelcome guest
Woody's communism was showing a little when he wrote this one. Billy Bragg did a great job composing the music. There are other great songs on that album as well. Hope you enjoy. Jim ^^