“The Ridge-Running Roan”

Description

Singer vows to tame a wild horse. After 17 days of pursuit the cowboy ropes him, discovering that at some point he'd been saddled and bridled, but was still wild. The horse eventually throws him and runs back to the ridges with all of his gear

Long description

Singer hears of a wild horse and vows to tame it. After 17 days of pursuit the horse quits the ridges for softer ground and the cowboy ropes him, discovering that at some point he'd been saddled and bridled, but was still wild. Mounting, "I thought I was up on the hurricane deck/Of an earthquake and cyclone a-havin' a wreck." The horse eventually throws him and runs back to the ridges with all of his gear

Notes

There's clearly a relationship to "Strawberry Roan" (also by Fletcher), but the plots are different enough that I've split them. - PJS

Cross references

• cf. "Strawberry Roan" (theme)

Recordings

• Harry Jackson, "The Ridge-Running Roan" (on HJackson1)