Rickie Lee Jones - The Horses
By Walter Becker & Rickie Lee Jones
We will fly way up high
Where the cold wind blows
Or in the sun, laughing and having fun
With the people that she knows
And if the situation should keep us separated
You know the world won't fall apart
And you will free the beautiful bird
That's caught inside your heart
Can't you hear her?
Oh she cries so loud
Casts her wild note
Over water and cloud
That's the way it's gonna be, little darlin' We'll be riding on the horses, yeah Way up in the sky, little darlin' And if you fall I'll pick you up, pick you up
You will grow, and until you go
I'll be right there by your side
And even then, whisper the wind
And she will carry up your ride
I hear all the people of the world
In a little bird's lonely cry
See them trying every way they know how
To make their spirits fly
Can't you see him? He's down on the ground He has a broken wing Looking all around
That's the way it's gonna be, little darlin'
You'll be riding on the horses, yeah
Way up in the sky, little darlin'
And if you fall I'll pick you up, pick you up
Don't worry 'bout a thing little girl Because I was young myself not so long ago And when I was young, when I was young And when I was young, oh I was a wild, wild one.
vocals: Rickie Lee Jones
string synthesizer: Rickie Lee Jones
drums: John Robinson
electric guitar: Buzz Feiten
bass: Neil Stubenhaus
electric guitar: Dean Parks
keyboard: Greg Phillinganes
percussion: Bob Zimmiti
organ: William "Smitty" Smith
piano: Michael Omartian
Engineers: Greg Penny, Roger Nichols.
This thread is long-over but fresh as new fallen snow for me, who has loved SD and Donald and Walter's solo work since the late '70s and recently has chosen to go down the WB rabbit hole a bit...
Comparing Walter's solo work to Donald's: I echo everything everybody has said before of course. What I find distinctive between the two is in the musical sensibility; Donald's musical inspirations so clearly come from jazz, a particular sort of New York jazz that really doesn't incorporate other world music styles and his sound emulates that. Walter to my ears appears to have been listening to a lot more different material from all over and chose to pull that into the material he wrote and performed.
Lyrically, the characters the two write are quite different. Donald's characters are soft focus, a bit above the whole thing. I never imagine those characters dirty or puking in a gutter or getting into a bar fight. Walter's characters seem to come from a seedier, more interesting neighborhood. They're a little bit dangerous and as a result their stories are more interesting to hear, if a little difficult sometimes.
I think the music and lyrics work together for each of them in their own ways but if you count listens to solo work between D & W, Walter wins in a walk with me.