The river of doubt gave birth to a beautiful stone
And in my hands i held it and i knew i was on my own
So I picked it up and i held it to the sky
And in my reflection, i knew i was all alone
Then i saw this girl with the most beautiful hair
She had it wrapped around her for clothes she did not wear
I asked her for a lock and she complied, after leaving
Georgeous footsteps in the sand as if she didn't care
She was the prettiest girl i ever saw
The stone lay still without a flaw
The feeling i had defied the law
As i came to, I went to
And i took a look, a look down the road
To see a badger and a one eyed toad
they didn't say a word, they just looked at me
With that wise old look of the old
Then i went down to town
To my favorite merry-go-round
To the place where the magic horses fly
And you seldom see a frown
but then i stole a ring from the flying horses
and i can't begin to explain how
I stole a ring from the flying horses
and it's all rusty now
I stole a ring from the flying horses
and i can't begin to explain how
I stole a ring from the flying horses
and it's all rusty now
You see 'cause that stone fell through my pocket
And that lock of hair flew away with the wind
If you chance to meet upon either
Well you know where they've been
But don't pick them up or try to find me
They're much happier on their own
Beauty like that knows no home
And then if you take a look, a look down the road
You'll see a badger and a one eyed toad
They won't say a word they'll just look at you
With that wise old look of the old

Chorus



Lyrics submitted by dragonflower44

Track duration: 05:24


Flying Horses song meanings
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67 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:It's just bout the carousel of Martha Vineyard.
    Flag knickknack12on October 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:PEOPLE. THE FLYING HORSES IS A CAROSEL IN MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MASSACHUSSETS. Dispatch is from MA (SO AM I AND I JUST STOLE A RING FROM HERE). In this carosel, you go around and take silver rings out of a little holder. The object is to get the last ring, which is a brass one. If you get it, you win a free ride. I won the brass ring, and I stole a ring from the flying horses, andddd I actually know the true meaning to this song. LEARN SOMETHING.
    Flag kateradeeeon May 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've always thought that this song is about growing up. There are things that you loved as a child and you should leave them in the past because they are great memories... I don't its a cool song
    Flag marcy32on May 12, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I don't believe this song is just about beauty. I think that when you look at all the references its about childhood and more specifically the experiences people have when growing up. Like someone said above the badger and the toad are references about to a childrens story in which one, (the toad I think) is wild and the badger is controlled. The toad ends up getting hurt a lot for his recklessness. In the song I believe these references are the narrators parents or someone he looks up to who always have that wise look of the old, something that most kids don't accept and ignore as this narrator did which ended up getting him hurt as well. The parent figures didn't try and shelter him so it seems and the narrator had to experience everything on their own. The three experiences he mentions are finding a beautiful stone, getting a lock of hair from a beautiful girl and getting a ring from the wild horses. The stone seems an odd reference that I can't place, maybe a materialistic thing he loved like a ring or trinket or simple a "lucky stone" he found in youth. The girl is a first crush it seems, and the ring from the wild horses implies a reference to The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caufield (or however you spell that lol) in his travels goes to the Coney Island Fair and rides the Carousel. There was a game on carousels back then in which you had to lance a ring as you went around. Since the narrator mentions a fair I assume this is a similar game that he is references. In order to get to that ring it was a great accomplishment and while it may have made him SO proud when he was younger, he is older now and the ring, and its meaning, is rusty. All these things, the stone the girl and the ring have fallen into his past as the wise badger and toad look on giving their wise old look of experience.
    Flag JackofallHeartson January 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i live on martha's vineyard. we don't have badgers.
    Flag mv_on December 27, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's actually about a place called watchhill in RI, it's about the beaches and the merry-go-round in the town, and how beautiful the place is to him. the golden ring is a ring you grab as you're riding the horses on the merry-go-round that gets you another free ride. the toad and the one eyed badger are statues the have near the beaches. they're from the "wind in the willows", a children's story.
    Flag larzon September 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The Flying Horses is a carousel on Martha's Vineyard in which a ring is situated so that if you are able to grab it, you get a free ride on the merry-go-round. The rest of the song sounds like it could also be situated on the Vineyard, and might refer to a summer on of them had there.
    Flag rycho626on April 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:dickwhitney.net/…
    ^ pic from Marthas Vinyard of Oak Bluffs Flying Horses
    This song is definitely about beauty being inapprehensible. And I can see The Wind in the Willows connection but as for catche in the rye... I think your attaching meaning to something that isnt there. (Although it may seem to fit I think its a coincidence) Great song
    Flag Reveille0on January 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song tells me a story, maybe im crazy but here goes wat its sayin to me..

    its a story of a guy who is lonely and feels like he has nothing going for him in his life, and he finds a beautiful stone which makes him happy, and then he sees a very beautiful girl, and gets a lock of her hair, and he becomes more happy. then he goes to a merry go round and takes the ring of a carosel. finally when he is happy, the ring rusts on him, his stone falls through his pocket, and the lock of hair blows away, and he once again feels all alone and sad. nonetheless he continues on his journey, and he looks down the road, and sees wise, one eyed toad. when he sees this toad he realizes how much worse his life could be, and begins to cheer up. he learns that he does not need the beautiful stone or a lock of the most beautiful hair, or a magic ring, and that if someone were to find them, they shouldnt try to find him, because he is finally happy with himself

    please dont be to critical lol
    Flag mebbleson October 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:there is defenitly really deap meening to this song but i never really understood the girl.

    Then i saw this girl with the most beautiful hair
    She had it wrapped around her for clothes she did not wear
    I asked her for a lock and she complied, after leaving
    Georgeous footsteps in the sand as if she didn't care

    theres probaly a greater meening to this but by the flying horses in Martha's Vineyard is'nt there a nude beach?
    Flag warontheradioon June 23, 2007   Link

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