[Verse 1] There’s a black horse out back By the busted screen door At the edge of the sand Of an old motel war One eye on the west One ear to the sky Hoofprints in the dust Where the hot weeds lie [Pre-Chorus] I can smell that rain Way out past the rails Hear the dry land groan Like a hundred nails The horse don’t move Just stands and waits Like it knows my name At the motel gates [Chorus] Black horse, black horse Standin’ in the wind Black horse, black horse Storm is comin’ in Hold that line Hold that flame Black horse, black horse Call my name [Verse 2] Paint peels off the sign Like old white skin Rooms full of shadows And a tired tin wind A busted Coke machine Leanin’ by the ice Glass in the gravel Shinin’ thin and white The sky goes green Then a bruised-up blue The black horse blinks Then it looks right through [Pre-Chorus] I can feel the ground Hum beneath my boots Far-off thunder roll Like a freight train coughed loose No road on the map No place to run Just that black horse waitin’ For the first hard drum [Chorus] Black horse, black horse Standin’ in the wind Black horse, black horse Storm is comin’ in Hold that line Hold that flame Black horse, black horse Call my name [Bridge] Then the first drops fall On the rusted hood And the desert wakes up Like I knew it would The horse lifts its head And the whole sky cracks Two lead guitars cry Then they bring me back If I lose my way If I lose my home That horse leads me on Through the thunder’s growl and moan [Final Chorus] Black horse, black horse Standin’ in the wind Black horse, black horse Storm is comin’ in Hold that line Hold that flame Black horse, black horse Call my name Black horse, black horse Out where the rain begins Black horse, black horse Take me in [Outro] Morning on the glass Mud on the road The motel still stands But the fear let go And that black horse gone Past the ragged west Left me one clean trail And a storm’s old breath