Lyr Add: Barney (Ian Tyson)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Barney (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 May 13 - 06:34 PM

Barney

Yesterday morning the snow came at last
The cattle all came down from the hills
Barney, he's been crippled for quite a long while now
His old legs stiff and bare in the chill
Since coming up from Texas he's been owned by many
And he's been rodeoed and knocked all around
So to bury him deep before the ground got to hard
That morning I put Barney down

We walked up the hill through the dead brown grass
Barney, a rifle, and I
And tying him quickly I took aim and I fired
In the hopes he'd feel nothing and die
But with a heart such as he had he clung so to life
Bust his halter and staggered away
He was coughing his blood still fighting to stand
When he pitched foreword and died where he lay

As I drove into town I started to cry
Where no one could see or could care
The sadness cut through me as I stared through my tears
And rush hours on coming there
I wept for my seasons of youth past and done
And for things that I thought I forgot
But mostly I cried for an honest brown horse
Who gave me much more than he got

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Barney (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST,Shonkin
Date: 30 May 13 - 12:55 AM

From listening to the album many times, I'd say the fourth line is "His old legs stiffened bad in the chill."

Also: Sylvia wrote this song as a gift to Ian after Ian had to put down his favorite horse, Barney.

The album was entitled "Ian and Sylvia with David Wilcox," not to be confused with their early Sixties Vanguard album "Ian and Sylvia."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Barney (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jun 10 - 12:54 PM

Thanks for the tip. I have everything Stan Rogers recorded but for some reason I've never listened Garnet. I just downloaded ALL THERE IS and like it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Barney (Ian Tyson)
From: Midchuck
Date: 24 Jun 10 - 09:38 AM

If it's too much to deal with (it almost is for me), I suggest Garnet Rogers' "Small Victories" to make you feel a little better.

Peter

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Barney (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 24 Jun 10 - 08:57 AM

Oh thank you so much for "at rush hour's oncoming glare." I agree with your comment on the 4th line too!

Subject: Lyr Add: BARNEY (Ian Tyson)
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 11 May 10 - 09:04 PM

In the Barney thread that has recently been revived, back in 2001 Midchuck said "There's an old Ian Tyson song with the same title, about an old horse that he had to put down. One of the saddest I ever heard.

Peter. "

That reminded me that I've had that in my to post file for a long time, so long that I had forgotten it. Here it is, and as he said, it's one of the saddest songs ever; you don't know who to feel the pain for most, Ian or Barney. I have no proof that it is so, but it certainly has the feel of a true story.

BARNEY, by Ian Tyson
Originally recorded on Ian & Sylvia, Columbia 30736, 1971
Rereleased on The Beginning of the End, Bear Family BCD 15940-AH, 1996

Yesterday morning, the snow came at last,
the cattle all came down from the hill.
Barney, he's been crippled for quite a long while now,
his old legs stiffened there in the chill.

Since coming up from Texas, he's been owned by many,
and he's been rodeo'd and knocked all around.
So to bury him deep, before the ground got too hard,
that morning I put Barney down.

We walked up the hill through the dead brown grass,
Barney, a rifle, and I.
And tying him quickly, I took aim and I fired,
in hopes he'd feel nothing and die.

But with a heart such as he had, he clung so to life,
busted his halter and staggered away.
He was coughing his blood, still fighting to stand,
he pitched forward and died where he lay.

As I drove into town, I started to cry,
where no one could see or could care.
And the sadness cut through me as I stared through my tears
at rush hour's oncoming glare.

And I wept for my season of youth past and done
and for things that I thought I forgot.
But mostly I cried for an honest brown horse
who gave me much more than he got.

Years ago, I used to think that in that fourth line, Ian was singing stiff and bare rather than stiffened there, but listening more carefully while doing this transcription, I've changed my mind. It works either way though.

The song is sung solo by Ian, with only a simple piano backing