Utah Carol
Robbins Marty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴And now my friends you've asked me what makes me sad and still
And why my brow is darkened like the clouds upon the hill
Run in your ponies closer and I'll tell to you my tale
Of Utah Carol my partner and his last ride on the trail

We rode the range together and rode it side by side
I loved him like a brother, and I wept when Utah died
We were rounding up one morning when work was almost done

When on his side the cattle started on a frightened run

Underneath the saddle that the boss's daughter rode
Utah that very morning had placed a bright red robe
So the saddle might ride easy for Lenore his little friend
And it was this red blanket that brought him to his end

The blanket was now dragging behind her on the ground
The frightened cattle saw it and charged it with a bound
Lenore then saw her danger and turned her pony's face
And leaning in the saddle tied the blanket to its place

But in leaning lost her balance, fell in front of that wild tide
"Lay still Lenore I'm coming," were the words that Utah cried
His faithful pony saw her and reached her with a bound
I thought he'd been successful, and raised her from the ground

But the weight upon the saddle had not been felt before
His backcinch snapped like thunder and he fell by Lenore
Picking up the blanket he swung it over his head
And started cross the prairie, "Lay still Lenore," he said

When he got the stampede turned and saved Lenore his friend
Then turned to face the cattle and meet his fatal end
His six gun flashed like lightning, the report rang loud and clear
As the cattle rushed and killed him he dropped the leading steer

On his funeral morning I heard the preacher say
I hope we'll all meet Utah at the roundup far away

Then they wrapped him in a blanket that saved his little friend
And it was this red blanket that brought him to his end

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marty Robbins’ “Utah Carol” tell a story of a cowboy sharing a tragic tale of his partner’s last ride on the trail. The song starts with the cowboy’s friends asking him why he is still sad even after, presumably, a long time has passed since the incident. Then, he begins to recount the events that led to the death of his partner, Utah Carol.

The cowboy and Utah had a bond like brothers, and they worked together rounding up cattle on a fateful day. Utah had placed a bright red blanket under the saddle of the boss’s daughter for her comfort, which, unfortunately, led to his tragic end. The blanket fell, and the frightened cattle saw it, causing them to charge towards Lenore, the boss's daughter. Lenore tied the blanket to the saddle, but she fell off her horse's back, and Utah quickly rode to save his little friend. He successfully rescued Lenore, but a backcinch on Utah's saddle snapped under the cattle's pressure, causing him to fall and leading to his death.

The song's lyrics are heavy with emotion and paint a vivid picture of the cowboy's memory of his friend's last moments. It is a classic tale of the cowboy way of life and the harsh realities of the trail. The song's sorrowful ending is a reminder of the risks and tragedies that come with the cowboy’s way of life, bonding, and brotherhood.

Line by Line Meaning

And now my friends you've asked me what makes me sad and still
I'm going to share a tragic story about my dear friend Utah Carol.

And why my brow is darkened like the clouds upon the hill
The memory of this event weighs heavily on my mind and clouds my emotions.

Run in your ponies closer and I'll tell to you my tale
Come closer so you can fully understand the events that led to Utah Carol's death.

Of Utah Carol my partner and his last ride on the trail
This is the story of Utah Carol's final moments on the trail.

We rode the range together and rode it side by side
Utah Carol and I were close companions and spent a lot of time together on the range.

I loved him like a brother, and I wept when Utah died
Utah Carol was like family to me, and his death was a great source of sadness for me.

We were rounding up one morning when work was almost done
This was an ordinary day on the range, and we were nearly finished with our work when tragedy struck.

When on his side the cattle started on a frightened run
The cattle suddenly became spooked and ran in a panicked frenzy.

Underneath the saddle that the boss's daughter rode
Utah Carol had placed a bright red robe under the saddle of the boss's daughter's horse earlier that day.

Utah that very morning had placed a bright red robe
Utah Carol had a specific reason for placing the red robe under the saddle.

So the saddle might ride easy for Lenore his little friend
Utah Carol did this to make it more comfortable for Lenore, the boss's daughter and his friend.

And it was this red blanket that brought him to his end
This simple act of kindness tragically led to Utah Carol's death.

The blanket was now dragging behind her on the ground
The red blanket became dislodged and was now trailing behind Lenore's horse.

The frightened cattle saw it and charged it with a bound
The cattle saw the trailing red blanket and became even more panicked, causing chaos.

Lenore then saw her danger and turned her pony's face
Lenore realized the danger she was in and tried to turn her horse around.

And leaning in the saddle tied the blanket to its place
Lenore tried to fix the problem by tying the blanket back onto the saddle.

But in leaning lost her balance, fell in front of that wild tide
Unfortunately, Lenore's attempt to fix the problem caused her to lose her balance and fall into harm's way.

"Lay still Lenore I'm coming" were the words that Utah cried
Utah Carol immediately tried to come to Lenore's rescue, telling her to stay still.

His faithful pony saw her and reached her in a bound
Utah Carol's horse immediately ran to Lenore's side in an attempt to help.

I thought he'd been successful, and raised her from the ground
The artist believed that Utah Carol had successfully saved Lenore from harm.

But the weight upon the saddle had not been felt before
However, the added weight of the red blanket had not been taken into account and caused a fatal outcome.

His backcinch snapped like thunder and he fell by Lenore
The saddle's backcinch suddenly broke, causing Utah Carol to fall off his horse right next to Lenore.

Picking up the blanket he swung it over his head
Utah Carol picked up the red blanket before going to face the cattle.

And started cross the prairie, "Lay still Lenore" he said
Utah Carol told Lenore to stay still and out of danger while he faced the stampeding cattle.

When he got the stampede turned and saved Lenore his friend
Utah Carol successfully diverted the stampede and managed to save Lenore from danger.

He turned to face the cattle and meet his fatal end
However, this heroic act ultimately led to Utah Carol's death.

His six gun flashed like lightning, the report rang loud and clear
Utah Carol attempted to stop the stampeding cattle by firing his gun in a heroic last stand.

As the cattle rushed and killed him he dropped the leading steer
Despite his bravery, Utah Carol was overpowered by the stampeding cattle and ultimately killed.

On his funeral morning I heard the preacher say
The artist attended Utah Carol's funeral and heard the preacher speak about him.

I hope we'll all meet Utah at the roundup far away
The preacher hoped that everyone would be reunited with Utah Carol in the afterlife.

Then they wrapped him in a blanket that saved his little friend
In a touching tribute, Utah Carol was wrapped in the very same red blanket that had caused his death.

And it was this red blanket that brought him to his end
The red blanket, which had initially been a symbol of kindness and goodwill, ultimately led to Utah Carol's untimely death.

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