Al Stewart - Three Mules Lyrics
Three mules came over a hill
They were dragging a cart
Creaking, it seemed to be falling apart
Laden with millions of dreams
It weighed more than they thought
They pulled on, staring ahead
With blinkered eyes and lowered heads
Hoping that all would be fine
I see them now
Time out of time
Ramsey and Stanley and Neville
Were the names of the mules
Each wore a bridle encrusted with jewels
And though a murmur of voices
Each laboured on
And they paid it no mind
They pulled on with never a doubt
Past boulders and holes
Till the road petered out
And giving a snort they sat down
Waiting for somebody else to come round
And from this are our lives writ large
From the beach at Dunkirk
To Pickett's Charge
And it's hard to go back
after coming this far
Down the road
Three mules looked over a fence
At the field beyond
Green as a forest it shone in the sun
Into the stillness they broke
Like a stone in a pond
And kicking the gate down
They brayed at the ground
And pulled on tugging a dream
Out of a smile and into a scream
And tossed the damp soil all around
Until the whole field turned muddy brown
And from this are our lives writ large
From the beach at Dunkirk
To Pickett's Charge
And it's hard to go back
after coming this far
Down the road
Ah, but it's not very easy now being a mule
I don't believe you appreciate all that we do
Look at this long and unfortunate face
Try to imagine that you're in my place
This is my nature
And to it I have to be true
Three mules came over a hill
With a sorrowful air
Though we've been judged, they said
It's hardly fair
All that we did was for you
And the good of the cause
Then they went back to the sound of applause
They went back into the night
Where a sickle of moon
Left a trickle of light
And while we lay under our roofs
The whole night filled up
With the beating of hooves
And from this are our lives writ large
From the beach at Dunkirk
To Pickett's Charge
And it's hard to go back
after coming this far
Down the road
And from this are our lives writ large
And every day
Is Pickett's Charge
And it's hard to go back
after coming this far
Down the road
Other Lyrics by Artist
- Al Stewart - Peter On The White Sea
- Al Stewart - Red Toupee
- Al Stewart - King Of Portugal
- Al Stewart - Real And Unreal
- Al Stewart - Last Days Of The Century
- Al Stewart - Lori, Don't Go Right Now
- Al Stewart - The Gypsy And The Rose
- Al Stewart - The Candidate
- Al Stewart - 1-2-3
- Al Stewart - Where Are They Now
- Al Stewart - Bad Reputation
- Al Stewart - Josephine Baker
- Al Stewart - Don't Forget Me
- Al Stewart - Angel Of Mercy
- Al Stewart - Feel Like
- Al Stewart - Helen & Cassandra
- Al Stewart - Ghostly Horses Of The Plain
- Al Stewart - Antarctica
Rand Lyrics
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Al Stewart Three Mules Comments
Good song, but I've always been perplexed by the mention of Pickett's Charge in this, a song about the lead-up to WWII. Pickett's Charge is a US Civil War reference. What gives here? Is Al using Pickett's Charge as a metaphor of sorts? His historical pieces are usually spot on for accuracy, so I assume it's intentional, but don't know why.
Could it be that he is touching upon the "lost cause" philosophy espoused by some, that Pickett's Charge would emblematic of?
Yes Ricky M that is correct, Al is pretty deep.
Sempre curti Al Stewart.
There are three sets of three mules, according to Al. This helps the song make eminent sense. "A sickle of moon left a trickle of light. While we lay under our roofs, the whole night filled up with the beating of hooves." Lyrics do not get better than this!
And it's about those three Prime Ministers having done very little to prepare for World War II, and which lyric refers to Hitler's threat?
The mules' names are said in the same order as their position times, when Ramsay was PM, then Baldwin, then Chamberlain, right?
Genius. Great album! Thank you for posting.