All the Tired Horses
| "All the Tired Horses" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"All the Tired Horses" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released on his 1970 double album Self Portrait. The song was featured in the 2001 film Blow.
The song is the first track on the album. It is most notable for its absence of Dylan's singing. It consists of a small choir of female voices (Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart)[1] repeating the same two lines
- All the tired horses in the sun
- How'm I s'posed to get any ridin' done? Hmm.
to the same melody for 3 minutes and 14 seconds, with varying instrumental accompaniment. In the key of C major, this song consists musically of the chord structure I-vi-iii-V, repeated throughout. This translates in the given key to C-Am-Em-G.
Possible Meanings
This has been taken as metaphor for simple tiredness, a psychological fatigue stemming from the wild ride of stardom and its attending distractions over his recent past years, or even a fatigue of the spirit itself, as interfering with his songwriting.[citation needed]
Some commentators have noted the near-homophonic relationship of "ridin'" and "writin'".[2][3]
Cover Versions
- The Sports: The Sports Play Dylan & Donovan (1981)
- The Narrator: All That to the Wall (2007)[3]
- Tim Heidecker & The Earth Is A Man (2012)[4]
References
- ^ "All The Tired Horses". Genius. Retrieved March 30, 2016. [better source needed]
- ^ Tony Attwood (November 26, 2014). "All the tired horses: the meaning of the music and the lyrics". Untold Dylan. Retrieved March 30, 2016. [better source needed]
- ^ a b Lee Bains (May 2007). "The Narrator on CD". CMJ New Music Monthly. p. 15. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ^ http://www.covermesongs.com/2012/02/tim-heidecker-does-an-impromptu-collaboration-on-bob-dylans-all-the-tired-horses.html
Further reading
- Don Giller and Ed Lozano. The Definitive Bob Dylan Songbook. Amsco Publications, 2003.
- Oliver Trager. Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books, 2004.