Heavy Horses
Jethro Tull
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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 And now you're down to the few and there's no work to do The tractor is 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 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 Heavy horses, move the land under me Behind the plough gliding, slipping and sliding free And now you're down to the few and there's no work to do The tractor is on its way 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 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 Bring me a wheel of oaken wood A rein of polished leather A heavy horse and a tumbling sky Brewing heavy weather Heavy horses, move the land under me Behind the plough gliding, slipping and sliding free And now you're down to the few and there's no work to do The tractor is on its way Oh, heavy horses, move the land under me Behind the plough gliding, slipping and sliding free And now you're down to the few and there's no work to do The tractor is on its way Oh, heavy horses, move the land under me Behind the plough gliding, slipping and sliding free And now you're down to the few and there's no work to do The tractor is on its way Oh, heavy horses, move the land under me Behind the plough gliding, slipping and sliding free
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10 facts about this song
Album Title"Heavy Horses" is the title track of Jethro Tull's eleventh studio album, which was released in 1978.
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Genre ClassificationThe song, like the rest of the album, blends elements of rock, folk and progressive music, reflecting the band’s trademark style.
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Song ThemeThe song pays homage to the heavy horse breeds that were rapidly becoming obsolete due to the advancements in modern technology. It is a tribute to the old work horses used in British agriculture.
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Album ClassificationThe album "Heavy Horses" is considered as the second in a trilogy of folk rock albums by Jethro Tull. The other two albums are "Songs from the Wood" (1977) and "Stormwatch" (1979).
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Special Anniversary EditionTo celebrate the album's 40th anniversary in 2018, "Heavy Horses" was remixed and re-released in a deluxe edition by the original recording engineer, Steven Wilson.
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LineupThe key band members during the recording of this song were Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar), Martin Barre (electric guitar), John Glascock (bass), John Evan (keyboards), and Barriemore Barlow (drums).
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Notable PerformanceThe song, along with the entire "Heavy Horses" album, was performed live by Anderson and a modified lineup of the band during their 50th anniversary tour in 2018.
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Song Length"Heavy Horses" is one of the longer tracks on the album, running for over 8 minutes.
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LyricsThe lyrics of "Heavy Horses" are considered by many fans and critics to be some of Ian Anderson's finest, combining vivid rural imagery with thoughtful reflections on the passage of time and the encroachment of modernity.
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Musical InstrumentsThe song is notable for its complex arrangement, blending electric instruments and folk instruments such as the mandolin and violin, which gives it a unique sound in the Jethro Tull catalogue.
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Citation
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