SILVER PALOMINO^©

A mother dies, leaving her young son to come to terms with the loss. In remembrance of Fiona Chappel, for her sons Tyler and Oliver.

I was barely 13 years old
She came out of the Guadalupe's on a night so cold
Her coat was frosted diamonds in the sallow moon's glow
My silver palomino

Sixteen hands from her withers to the ground
I lie in bed and listen to the sound
Of the west Texas thunder roll
My silver palomino

I track her into the mountains she loved
Watch her from the rocks above
She'd dip her neck and drink from the winter flows
My silver palomino

Our mustañeros* were the very best, sir
They could never lay a rope on her
No corral will ever hold
The silver palomino

In my dreams bareback I ride
Over the pradera* low and wide
As the wind sweeps out the draw
'Cross the scrub desert floor

I'd give my riata* and spurs
If I could be forever yours
I'd ride into the serrania* where no one goes
For the silver palomino

Summer drought come hard that year
Our herd grazed the land so bare
Me and my dad had to blowtorch the thorns off the prickly pear*
And mother, your hand slipped from my hair

Tonight I wake early the sky is pearl, the stars aglow
I saddle up my red roan
I ride deep into the mountains along a ridge of pale stone
Where the air is still with the coming snow
As I rise higher I can smell your hair
The scent of your skin, mother, fills the air
'Midst the harsh scrub pine that grows
I watch the silver palomino

From the Devils & Dust album. Played during the warm-up shows for the Devils & Dust tour on 21 and 22 Apr 2005 at the Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ. Played during 22 of the first 33 shows of the tour till now (the last update of this page).

A Palomino is a golden-colored horse with a pale mane and tail, originally bred in the southwestern United States.

Track credits:
vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion - Bruce Springsteen
strings - Nashville String Machine

The Devils & Dust album track listing is:
01- DEVILS AND DUST (known from previous rehearsals)
02- ALL THE WAY HOME (Bruce wrote if for Southside Johnny's album Better Days)
03- RENO (previously unknown track)
04- LONG TIME COMIN' (known from The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour)
05- BLACK COWBOYS (previously unknown track)
06- MARIA'S BED (previously unknown track)
07- SILVER PALOMINO (previously unknown track)
08- JESUS WAS AN ONLY SON (previously unknown track)
09- LEAH (previously unknown track)
10- THE HITTER (known from The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour)
11- ALL I'M THINKIN' ABOUT (previously unknown track)
12- MATAMOROS BANKS (previously unknown track)

* Mustañeros: Mustangers
* Pradera: Prairie
* Riata: Rope
* Serrania: Mountains
* Prickly Pear: Cactus