Margery's dreaming of the middle of the day
Tiyuri to win
Perfect Dozen to place
money is the matter that's been on her mind
time ticks by her one race at a time

She's tryin' to be a good girl
And give 'em what they want
But Margery's dreaming of horses

Lookin' at a green sky
Sun like a red eye
Bright blue horses are the fortune she lives by
She's tired and lonely
Scared and depressed
Her visions of one day go racing the next

She's trying to be a good girl
And give 'em what they want
But Margery's dreaming of horses

Margie doesn't say anything all the way home
So afraid she'll awake to find she's all alone

Margery's wingspan's all feathers and coke cans, and
TV dinners and letters she won't send, and
Every race night is shot through with sunlight
Trying to hit the big one one last time tonight for...

Drunken fathers and stupid mothers and
Boys who can't tell one girl from another
So she takes her pills
Careful and round
One of these days she's gonna throw the whole bottle down

But she's trying to be a good girl
And give 'em what they want
But Margery's dreaming of...

Trying to be a good girl
And give 'em what they want
But Margery's dreaming of horses



Lyrics submitted by 3ssence

Track duration: 04:32

"Another Horsedreamer's Blues" as written by Daniel John Vickrey, Ben Mize, Matthew Malley, Charles Gillingham, David Bryson, Adam Duritz

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Another Horsedreamer's Blues song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I always think of Margery as Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop... Betting on the ponies, not wanting to be alone, having a defensive attitude, amnesia, etc.
    Flag Kaeshaon January 02, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I always saw it as a girl who was alone, or mostly alone in her world. She's kind of trapped in her world, struggling with a normal life, friends, family, anything. "Money is the matter that's been on her mind" She bets on horses to escape, "Time ticks by her one race at a time". She tries to be perfect, keep up, "Trying to be a good girl and give them what they want", but she's scared of being alone, of waking up lonely... I suspect abuse too, "drunken fathers and stupid mothers and boys who can't tell one girl from another". "One of these days she's gonna throw the whole bottle down", she can't deal with it all. She dreams of horses, dreams of freedom. I mean, if you think of horses, don't you immediately imagine a free horse running wild through green grass? So she dreams of freedom, even if the only means of doing so is by suicide.
    This is only my opinion, it's my favorite song. I love it all the same, however.
    Flag angelcat2828on January 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This person is just a very unlucky woman, in a struggle with many different problems. I don't know if she is a prostitute, but it's possible. Even if she is obviously thinking about suicide, she is still dreaming of horses. And for me horses symbolize strength, liberty and forwardness. In her dreams she can escape from all of her problems and her depression.

    "Bright blue horses are the fortune she lives by" that's why you all think that she is betting on horses, but in my opinion that has a deeper meaning.
    Flag konstantine...on April 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I never thought she was a prostitute necessarily, I always thought she was a stripper. I always thought the idea was that she had experienced a rough upbringing and was now in a rough situation and was betting on horse races "trying to hit the big one" for one big score to improve her situation in life. Love love love this song.
    Flag Stuttsyon April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I never thought she was a prostitute necessarily, I always thought she was a stripper. I always thought the idea was that she had experienced a rough upbringing and was now in a rough situation and was betting on horse races "trying to hit the big one" for one big score to improve her situation in life. Love love love this song.
    Flag Stuttsyon April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is very clearly about Sam Shepard's "Geography of a Horsedreamer." Check out the book: "Four Two-Act Plays" by Sam Shepard. It's a good read and it'll make this song self-explanatory. In fact, I was disappointed to find the lyrics are...too obvious. They're only cryptic if you haven't read the play.

    Something to note: when the song says "pills" it isn't referencing normal drugs. In the story, "pills" are sleeping pills. The only way a horsedreamer can "dream of horses" is by sleeping. And in order to induce sleep during the day, many of them take sleeping pills. There was one particular line in the play which mentions a guy taking several pills and sleeping for two (?) weeks straight. The lyrics mean that “Someday, Margery might take a whole bottle of sleeping pills so she’ll never wake up.”

    In other words, she did not “turn to drugs.” She’s not addicted to anything. She’s not a prostitute or a druggy. She’s just a little girl with abnormal luck. She can guess the winner and the second place horse for the next race whenever she falls asleep. And this “gift” has forced her drunk and abusive parents to take advantage of her every night to bet on the horse races. She goes along with it because she doesn't want to let everyone down, but secretly she wishes she could go outside and be free.
    Flag zamzon September 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I used to think that it was about a girl who raced horses to make money for her parents and her family and she hated doing it but she was "trying to be a good girl and give them what they want."

    Now I'm on the same mindset as ALngDcmbr. It makes a lot of sense after you read the play "Geography of a Horsedreamer." Amazing song.
    Flag Runton August 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:great... those last few entries are really ridiculous. you seem to be a bit off topic.
    chingy_d seems to have hit the nail on the head though. this is a great song about a troubled girl betting on horses and taking pills to distract from her sad life. honestly, i don't like the counting crows very much, but i have a friend who loves them, and he insisted i listen to this song. i actually love this song.
    Flag Barking Sparrowson December 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:david cheung is gay...my pc told me to say it
    Flag bacon4lifeon December 21, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:keviiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin
    Flag bacon4lifeon December 21, 2004   Link

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