Did anyone see the movie The Rider, by Chloe Zhao? This song is for the main character, and for all the boys he reminded me of, with their ropy arms, their raw hands, their big breakable hearts.
lyrics
Quiet Rider
Quiet rider, boots dug in the flank
With reins you guide her, sky so wide and blank.
Ever watchful, but you don’t see anything
Just feel the breath flow and the air around you sing
Quiet rider, your feet don’t touch the ground
You broke the wild ones, felt their heartbeats pound
Horizon’s endless, jackrabbits in the sage
Prairie grasses blow like whispering sisters through the ages
I saw your sunset—you sent it over the line
As you receded, did you shield your eyes at mine
I could sing this song through forever
If it keeps you close at hand
I’m a slow learner, it’s like I
Just can’t understand
Oh, ghost rider, walk me to the end of this season
Dark survivor, oh you know this pain had no reason
You rode as the dust rose, dense clouds around you formed
Rode ever northward into the oncoming storm
Quiet rider, you’ve already come and gone
The ground still holds, though, the echo of your hoofbeats.
credits
from Dead Reckoning,
released January 15, 2023
Kate, Connor, Mark, Stéphane. Scotty Hard played the electric guitar track.
The stripped-down approach (mostly piano/organ, bass, drums) favoured here puts the spotlight squarely on Brown's soulful, meditative lyrics and vocals, which are frequently augmented by the sublime Kate Fenner. The arrangements are no slouch either, with perfect flourishes of horns, harmonica and guitar that add to the overall warm folk-soul vibe.
Right on target, so direct, this album feels as natural as the changing seasons and weaves a spell that lingers long after listening. Mike Garrett
As a lifelong fan of psyche, I was delighted to have found this, stunned that I'd missed them for three decades and devastated by the news of Dallas' passing. Makes many of the album's lyrics even more poignant. I hear echoes of the Chocolate Watch Band, Long Ryders and both the pop and country sides of the Byrds. Stunning, and a contender for my album of the year. Iain H