In 1927, Double Day and Company published a book by cowboy painter Charles M. Russell called Trails Plowed Under, Stories of the Old West. His publisher insisted that the world needed to Know the wonderful and often humorous tales Charley loved to tell to his many friends. He became a master storyteller and would often speak to anyone, who would buy him a drink at the local bar, and give vivid accounts of the everyday cowboy.
One of my favorite stories was called The Ghost Horse. It was about the life of a pinto pony named Paint who for five years lived with the Crow Indians running with the buffalo herds. One night a war party from the north led by a fellow named Bad Wound raided the Crow and stole Paint. This Piegan tribe left the Belly River (in Montana) then rode through the night with their prized horses with ten riders. The next morning, the group noticed there was one riderless pony among their herd. Apparently, the warrior who stole paint was shot and dropped somewhere on the ride home.
When the Piegan arrived the next morning to their village, Bad Wound felt blood stains on Paint's mane and immediately knew it was bad medicine. So he shot the poor pinto and left him for dead, only to see him arise the next morning feeding with the herds. Bad Wound realized that he had only stunned the horse and he knew it was very strange medicine so traded Paint off. The pony went to several owners before eventually Charley picked him up with a trade. The painter named him Monty and they lived together as best friends for the next 25 years.
In 2011, my wife and I went to Great Falls, Montana to see Charley and Nancy Russell's museum and house on forth street. I was so impressed with the cowboy storyteller that then and there I decided to write a tribute album to this colorful artist. After a wonderful tour of his painting studio, I was browsing the gift shop's counter and bought the above mentioned book for sale. As I read the historical and humorous stories, I laughed a lot and couldn't keep my mind off the wonderment of the old West that no longer exists. Charley's down to earth writing and illustrations made the book tough to put down and I refer to Trails Plowed Under, Stories of the Old West (as well as his other publications) often.
I had to write a song about this colorful true story. In my interpretation, I called the Indian chief War Wound since I knew I couldn't use Charley's words verbatim. I had to create an eerie sound of wind and use ghostly chords with the synthesizer. As I was painting my sound canvas I wanted to give a feel as if Charley was riding Monty from the hills to the plains (also notice the beating of horse hooves throughout the song). As I imagined the fragrance of flowers on the open range, I wanted to convey some of what the painter might have experienced. At the end, the song changes to a sense of the heavenly presence of a ghost horse grazing in the clouds...yes that is my wife at the very end making the sound of Monty. Charley would be proud of bringing his Indian pony story to the 21st century and beyond. He truly loved his horse Monty and wanted the world to know that too.
I was inspired to write the instrumentals for Ghost Horse a couple of years earlier by the loss of my friends and brother. I knew right away that the ghostly air of the piece was befitting to a memorial song for Monty when it finally came time to put together my Charles M. Russell tribute album. It already had the perfect music and soul I was looking for! As I began to write the lyrics, I was filled with much emotion and knew Charley really loved his horse...as you can tell I sang my heart out. I still cry when I sing this song.
To this day, my wife insists that this is her favorite song that I ever wrote. I have written many songs but I am so proud to have done this. So, for you Charley, I tried to do you justice in making this song yours. I had his spirit and Monty in my mind when I wrote the words...He runs through the hills with the wind in his mane, My pinto, My old friend...
Be sure to check out my Ghost Horse lyric video here.
The pony picture is called Crow War Pony–1 by Brady Willette. If you would like to see more of his beautiful artwork and photography, please visit his website at www.willettefineart.com