Harris and the Mare

By: Stan Rodgers



Harris, my old friend, good to see your face again

More welcome, though, yon trap and that old mare

For the wife is in a swoon, and I am all alone

Harris, fetch thy mare and take us home



The wife and I came out for a quiet glass of stout

And a word or two with neighbors in the room

But young Clary, he came in, as drunk and wild as sin

And swore the wife would leave the place with him



But the wife as quick as thought said, "No, I'll bloody not"

Then struck the brute a blow about the head

He raised his ugly paw, and he lashed her on the jaw

And she fell onto the floor like she were dead



Now Harris, well you know, I've never struck an angry blow

Nor would I keep a friend who raised his hand

I was a conscie in the war, cryin' what the hell's this for?

But I had to see his blood to be a man



I grabbed him by his coat, spun him 'round and took his throat

And beat his head upon the parlor door

He dragged out an awful knife, and he roared "I'll have your life"

And he stuck me and I fell onto the floor



Now blood I was from neck to thigh, bloody murder in his eye

As he shouted out "I'll finish you for sure"

But as the knife came down, I lashed out from the ground

And the knife was in his breast and he rolled o'er



Now with the wife as cold as clay I carried her away

No hand was raised to help us through the door

And I've brought her half a mile, but I've had to rest a while

And none of them I'll call a friend no more



For when the knife came down, I was helpless on the ground

No neighbor stayed his hand, I was alone

By God, I was a man, but now I cannot stand

Please, Harris, fetch thy mare, take us home



Oh, Harris, fetch thy mare, and take us out of here

In my nine and fifty years I've never known

That to call myself a man, for my loved one I must stand

Now Harris, fetch thy mare take us home