Chestnut Mare    (live video)    (R. McGuinn)

 

   C               Em    - F                        G

1.    Always alone,       never with a herd,

C                               Em            - F                                        G

    prettiest mare I've ever seen,       you'll have to take my word.

 

F        - Dm                F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm         going to catch that horse if I can,

F        - Dm              F       G                   C    - G - Am - G

    and         when I do I'll give her my brand.

 

     C                       Em                     - Am                  G

2.     Well, I was up on Stony Ridge         after this chestnut mare,

F - Am                                      Dm    -  G

             been chasing her for weeks.

C                           Em                           Am                    - G

    Oh, I'd catch a glimpse of her every once in a while,

                        F     Am        - Dm       G

    taking her meal, bathing,         fine lady.

C - Em               Am                                  G

           This one day I happen to be real close to her

                             F                    Am   - Dm                  G

    and I saw her standing over there,         so I snuck up on her,

                     C     - Em - Am               G

    nice and easy,                    got my rope out

F - Am                              Dm   - G

           and I flung it in the air!

 

F        - Dm                F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm         going to catch that horse if I can,

F        - Dm              F       G                   C    - G - Am - G

    and         when I do I'll give her my brand.

F          Dm        F                    - F          Dm       F

    And we'll be friends for life,       she'll be just like a wife,

F        - Dm                F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm         going to catch that horse if I can,

 

    C                 Em                                    - Am                              G

2.     And I got her and I'm pulling on her         and she's pulling back

                    F                     Am        - Dm - G

    like this mule going up a ladder.

C                        Em                                Am         - G

    And I take a choice and I jump right upon her,

F                              Am               Dm             - G

    damned if I don't land right on top of her.

                            C    - Em                   Am                  - G

    And she takes off,          running up onto the ridge,

                        F                        Am    - Dm - G

    higher than I've ever been before.

                                           C     - Em - Am               G

    She's running along just fine,                  'til she stops.

                                 F

    and something spooked her,

                    Am                             Dm                   - G

    it's a sidewinder, all coiled and ready to strike.

C - Em - Am                                           G

                    She doesn't know what to do for a second,

             F           Am                          - Dm                   G

    but then, she jumps off the edge,         me holding on.

 

   C                           Bb               F                  Dm

3.    Above the hills, higher than eagles were gliding,

           F                     C

    suspended in the sky,

     C                  Bb                  F                  Dm

    over the hill straight for the sun we were riding

          F               Am           G

    my eyes were filled with light.

 

         C                                    Bb               F               Dm

4. Behind those black walls below was a bottomless canyon,

       F                     C

    floating with no sound,

        C                      Bb                  F            Dm

    ghosts far below seemed to be suddenly rising,

           F       Am   G

    exploding all around.

 

F        Dm         F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm going to catch that horse if I can,

F           Dm     F       G                   C    - G - Am - G

    and when I do I'll give her my brand.

F          Dm        F                    - F          Dm       F

    And we'll be friends for life,       she'll be just like a wife,

F       Dm          F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm going to catch that horse if I can,

 

    C                Em     - Am                    G

5.    We were falling          down this crevice,

F                        Am                     - Dm - G

    about a mile down it seemed.

                           C                                   Em

    And I looked down, and I see this red thing below us

Am                         G                          F                         - Am

    coming up real fast, and it's our reflection that's this

                        Dm                           G

    little pool of water about six feet wide

            C                     - Em - Am           G

    and one foot deep.                  We're falling down

                 F          - Am      Dm                         G

    right through it !        We hit, we splashed it dry !

C                        Em               - Am                        G

    That's when I lost my hold         and she got away,

F                        Am                      Dm                    - G

    but I'm gonna try and get her again some day.

 

F        Dm         F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm going to catch that horse if I can,

F           Dm     F       G                   C    - G - Am - G

    and when I do I'll give her my brand.

F          Dm        F                    - F          Dm       F

    And we'll be friends for life,       she'll be just like a wife,

F       Dm          F              G       - F        Dm        F               G

    I'm going to catch that horse,      I’m going to catch that horse,

F       Dm          F              G            C    - G - Am - G

    I'm going to catch that horse if I can,

F       Dm          F              G            C    - G - Am - F - C

    I'm going to catch that horse if I can.

 

(orig. = capo 2nd, McGuinn = capo 1st)    (The Byrds)