This was a shortened version from the original because of time constraints on TV. The original is about twice as long and contains at least one if not two more verses.
He wrote this song after sleeping on the floor at a friend’s house in Los Angeles in a wooded area and having a dream about a magical horse that died in a snow storm.
Our dogs, our cats, our horses, know when we're down and troubled and will do what they can to comfort us. Here I've always believed that the pony led her to a peaceful place beyond the storm of her life.
I have loved this song. It reminds me of being 10 years old. Finding out the horse was Wildfire made my day because I was taking riding songs and my horse was named Wildfire!
Not only did we sing this song and later learn to play it around campfire when I was a little kid, girls, including my sister and so many of my friends, absolutely went crazy over this song, lol. I'm talking grade school here! 😂
Midnight Special, Soul Train, American Bandstand and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert were the only way we got to see a lot of bands back in the 70s. These ushered in the whole MTV generation of video.
Yes, I was 24 when this song came out. It got to me then and still does. Your interpretation is similar to mine. I thought it was his wife or girlfriend that went into the blizzard looking for Wildfire, and both her and her horse perished. Then, she would return in his dreams riding down on Wildfire.
This is such a beautiful song. I was in high school when this song came out and couldn't wait to buy the record. He also put out a CHRISTMAS album called "Cowboy Christmas."
I'm from the east coast and about 3 years before this song came out my aunt and uncle moved to Nebraska. They had mentioned how brutal the winters can be there. So, out comes this song and I wound up having terrible dreams of my aunt going out into the cold night searching for this horse and my uncle looking for her. They didn't even live on a farm or have a horse lol. Sometimes music just hits you that way. To this day, as soon as I here that piano opening I think of them. BTW - you should take a listen to the studio track as has a nice outro as well. They did a great job here performing it live, but I still prefer the studio version. It's even more emotional than this if you can believe it.
This is song is both beautiful and tragic at the same time. The song is full of symbolism that tells a much deeper story than what it seems to be about on the surface. The hoot owl was a harbinger about a dream with a deeper meaning, the woman was his lover or wife who had died and gone to Heaven before him, the horse was their guiding spirit to bring both of their souls up to Heaven. At least this was how I interpreted the meaning. Like you said Angela, everyone will have their own interpretation of this song. Part of my interpretation was hearing MMM talk about this song much later in his career, and that story and him playing this song also are on another YT video. It was incredibly popular when it came out, got an awful lot of airplay on nearly every style of music radio.
I think the studio version is better. Part of what makes the song memorable is the keyboard soaring over the acoustic guitar and you can barely hear that in this live version.
THis has always been a favorte of mine. There are 2 songs that when I hear them I just have to stop and listen, this song and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
You are an amazing person Angela for obvious reasons! I don't have any pets 🐶🐕 🐈😺 🐦 because it gets extremely 🔥🥵 hot where I live here in the ⛱️🌞 summer, so I don't want to have the poor animal endure the extreme heat! Hopefully one day we will all be able to ride into the 🌇🌆 sunset collectively with our beloved and faithful 🐴🐎 stallions! Take care!
Have you ever done PLEASE COME TO BOSTON by David Loggins? Great lyrics and vocals and music 🎵🎶 HAAA you are your own two different interpretations!! Great Reaction! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎🎸🤟🏼
One of my very favorites from this era. Although this song was written from a dream Murphey had it's jam packed with mystical signs, spirits, and portents. Just a beautiful, well conceived song. Needless to say, in the dry flat lands of the Midwest, the entire concept of a wildfire is very dangerous since it will spread very quickly, and the winds will magnify the blaze. The Yellow Mountain is a sacred place. A whirlwind or tornado is a dangerous thing, but in Native American folklore it's a spiritual one, especially when someone seems a part of it. Native Americans and people in the Wicca religions plant by the dark of the moon for a healthy crop. Hoot owls and killer frosts are omens of death...and so on.
Always glad to see reactors, like Angela, pull content from the Midnight Special performances. It was must see TV in the seventies each late Friday night.
There are some other versions of this song from Mr. Murphey on youtube. There is a Letterman show version and another older one where Michael has a better hair cut. I remember some radio stations cutting the intro for this song. But I always loved it! "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro is another tissue graber. DayOne has already reviewed it.
I always loved this song. Here's my interpretation. A Nebraska farmer is reflecting on his mortality, leading him to tell the tragic story of the girl and Wildfire. He says she comes down yellow mountain, but there are no mountains in Nebraska, so I interpret that to mean he imagines her spirit riding out of the setting sun on the horizon. The owl outside his window for six nights is a harbinger of impending death. So, the farmer anticipates the girl's spirit coming to him when he dies, and they'll both ride Wildfire into eternity.
My dear Angela this song is another childhood favorite although I do prefer the studio version and I think for your first listen you would have enjoyed the song more with the studio version.
What I always thought was the woman died during the winter and the horse sensing his rider was gone lost his life running in the blizzard...and then the man heard an owl outside his window a year later signaling her and the horse's return to come and take him away from his suffering and take him into heaven
I'm so lucky to have a friend that owns 10 horses..She's has me come out once a month to give them all a good ride on her 40 acres...and I do it for free, because the bond between us when we ride is magical. ( Especially Harry, a beautiful Arabian male that loves to run and test his physical limits) As for this hit song, it is a tear-jerker, can't blame ya for choking up.
Since you're doing story telling songs here's a couple. Letters From War by Mark Schultz. The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia by Vicky Lawrence. The Killing Of Georgie by Rod Stewart. Rock And Roll Heaven by Righteous Brothers.
This music is a prime example of how poor in quality, by comparison, is today's "popular music". It is not musical, its lyrics are pathetic, if not banal, its delivery is full of "glitz" but of very little redeeming quality. Corporations have taken over the industry and demand immediate "hits" and popularity to rake in greedy profits. Musical artists are no longer free to compose what they want; their creative artistry is no longer encouraged or supported. The result is extremely poor quality and almost immediately forgettable. So sad what has happened... : (
Could not agree more! I cannot imagine in 20+ years that people will doing video reactions to today’s music! They will still be reviewing Jim Morrison, Harry Chapin, The Stones, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, et al. Today’s compositions are so vapid.
Dayone, you've completely missed the story of this song. The horse busted out of its stall apparently during a winter storm and the the lady went out looking for him calling the horses name, which was "Wildfire". In the second and third stanza he sings the following: Oh, they say she died one winter When there came a killing frost And the pony she named Wildfire Busted down its stall In a blizzard, he was lost She ran calling Wildfire She ran calling Wildfire She ran calling Wildfire
😉 Wouldn't be the 70's Without Some Robin Trower..... ....."Long Misty Days" Has been one of my favorite songs my entire life..... ....So Many Great Artists That Didn't Get Heavy Rotation Airplay🎸
My older sister bought one of those K-tel albums with the latest hits on it, and this was one them. Those albums sucked because the gave about a minute and a half for each song, and if the song was too long it cut off the remainder 😅. I think it got to Wildfire busting down the stall and that was it.
The studio is much better, because he sings the song straight forward. Too many artists stray from what made their songs great and sing it differently. Though this is still great, it is the case here. I think you'd appreciate the studio more because the flow is much better and he doesn't try to over-sing it as he does here.
I heard this song over and over on the radio, and had to get the album Blue Sky-Night Thunder. That studio cut is much better than this Live recording (please compare!). Jac Murphy on piano (no relation).
Another one of those "Saddest songs I've ever heard" songs. They could turn this into a movie but with a happy ending years later. Amnesia or something, finds her decades later, they have different lives and she slowly remebers who he is and what happened. .But I always thought of this as a man who lost his young daughter, not his wife, due to her love of her horse....like he fond the hosre's body butnever fond her for years. Some rescued her, but she had anesia from fallingoff the horse when she had been found by someone who did'nt know her. But no, people want stupid violent animated hero action movies and crap.
This band played a more extended version that featured more of the piano, and Michael's own guitar playing, it's amazing. Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/gl4Y4FWWkn0/w-d-xo.html
Michael Martin Murphey - Wildfire .. I really love this song and have it in my library. ...I do like the Midnight specials but the sound isn't that good in this one. Studio version is fantastic.IMHO
If you want a real tear jersey story try listening to "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine. Make sure you have tissues....you of all people are definitely going to need them.
Piano player is Jac (Jacque) Murphy (no relation) from Dallas - used to teach at SMU and play at a bar in Lower Dallas - saw Michael twice in pretty small venues, really liked him - Murphey took inspiration from a ghost story his grandfather told him. A lot of song's lyrics are basically fiction. And I'll take MMM over John Denver any day.
My kids and I used to listen to this song and all join in together on the chorus.. a shame, badly mixed as the instruments drown out his vocal...my kids are grown now, but this song brings back great memories..yiounare atill my favorite Angela, you wear your heart in your sleeve like me
Have to listen to the original radio version, this recording sucked. Still a very memorable song... couldn't turn on the radio at the time and not hear it.
Haven't heard this in 30 years, still brings a tear!
This was a shortened version from the original because of time constraints on TV. The original is about twice as long and contains at least one if not two more verses.
I’ve LOVED this song since I was a kid. 🙂💜🎄👍🏼
One of my absolute favorite songs of the seventies.
This 70s gem still gets airplay. It still moves me 50 years after I first heard it in highschool driving in my dad's oldsmobile cutlass supreme
He wrote this song after sleeping on the floor at a friend’s house in Los Angeles in a wooded area and having a dream about a magical horse that died in a snow storm.
The original studio version is definitely a tear jerker. Great review!
Our dogs, our cats, our horses, know when we're down and troubled and will do what they can to comfort us. Here I've always believed that the pony led her to a peaceful place beyond the storm of her life.
Never apologize for your feelings. There is nothing wrong with feeling the music, if it made you emotional, then it did its job.
Yes!
As a little kid I would hear this, and cry when I found out the horse died.
Keep em coming. I grew up in the 70s as a teen. Nice to see younger folks enjoying the music that is literally tattooed to my brain.
"Wildfire" is Michael Martin Murphey's most famous song. Another song from him you should try is "What's Forever For". I think you will like it, too.
'Still Taking Chances' and 'Geronimo's Cadillac' as well.
The horse busted out first, being freaked out by the storm. She went out looking for him and they both disappeared.
He just looks like the perfect person to sing that song
I have loved this song. It reminds me of being 10 years old. Finding out the horse was Wildfire made my day because I was taking riding songs and my horse was named Wildfire!
At the time this song ran on the radio about every ten or so numbers.📻🎶🤗
One of the 70s best "Tearjerker" songs😢
I can still sing every word to this song all these years later
That is how powerful great music can be!
I loved this song!!❤
WILD FIRE!!!❤❤
Beautiful song. Loved all the instruments being played beautifully. 😅
Not only did we sing this song and later learn to play it around campfire when I was a little kid, girls, including my sister and so many of my friends, absolutely went crazy over this song, lol. I'm talking grade school here! 😂
Because kids back then understood the value of a good story and songs with melody and harmony instead of just a plastic beat and talking trash.
The original studio version was the one to react to.....still can, in your private time! He jazzed this one up- sounds like he recorded it on 4/20.
Midnight Special, Soul Train, American Bandstand and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert were the only way we got to see a lot of bands back in the 70s. These ushered in the whole MTV generation of video.
So true though on AB and ST they were lip syncing... The positive part of AB and ST is Dick Clark and Don Cornelius gave us interviews...
Yes, I was 24 when this song came out. It got to me then and still does. Your interpretation is similar to mine. I thought it was his wife or girlfriend that went into the blizzard looking for Wildfire, and both her and her horse perished. Then, she would return in his dreams riding down on Wildfire.
I love your heart and compassion.
This song gives me the sads like Henry Gross's song Shannon, thanks for your reaction.
Incredible observations at the end about our relations with animals. ❤❤❤❤❤❤
The beautiful piano intro played by Jac Murphy is based on Alexander Scriabin's Prelude in D-Flat.
This is such a beautiful song. I was in high school when this song came out and couldn't wait to buy the record. He also put out a CHRISTMAS album called "Cowboy Christmas."
I'm from the east coast and about 3 years before this song came out my aunt and uncle moved to Nebraska. They had mentioned how brutal the winters can be there. So, out comes this song and I wound up having terrible dreams of my aunt going out into the cold night searching for this horse and my uncle looking for her. They didn't even live on a farm or have a horse lol. Sometimes music just hits you that way. To this day, as soon as I here that piano opening I think of them. BTW - you should take a listen to the studio track as has a nice outro as well. They did a great job here performing it live, but I still prefer the studio version. It's even more emotional than this if you can believe it.
Back in those days he was just Michael Murphy. He threw in the Martin when he became a country singer.
Omg I love this song!!
This is song is both beautiful and tragic at the same time. The song is full of symbolism that tells a much deeper story than what it seems to be about on the surface. The hoot owl was a harbinger about a dream with a deeper meaning, the woman was his lover or wife who had died and gone to Heaven before him, the horse was their guiding spirit to bring both of their souls up to Heaven. At least this was how I interpreted the meaning. Like you said Angela, everyone will have their own interpretation of this song. Part of my interpretation was hearing MMM talk about this song much later in his career, and that story and him playing this song also are on another YT video. It was incredibly popular when it came out, got an awful lot of airplay on nearly every style of music radio.
I's on y play list, listening every night at work. Thinking of childhood growing up in the 70's.
I think the studio version is better. Part of what makes the song memorable is the keyboard soaring over the acoustic guitar and you can barely hear that in this live version.
And the end replaying the piano piece!
Exactly
The studio recorded version is so much better than live. The instrumentals in this live version wasn't as moving , but ? Still a tear jerker 😢
I hadn't heard this one before, very melodic and great instrumentation.
Crying 😭 right along with you. This is a fav song of mine since I was 5 yrs. old. I'm an animal person too 🐎😢 Thank you for doing this one 🙏💞
THis has always been a favorte of mine. There are 2 songs that when I hear them I just have to stop and listen, this song and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
the best thing of the story tellers we grew up with, they were soooo talented and move us the way they do, i love growing up in the 60's and 70's.
You are an amazing person Angela for obvious reasons! I don't have any pets 🐶🐕 🐈😺 🐦 because it gets extremely 🔥🥵 hot where I live here in the ⛱️🌞 summer, so I don't want to have the poor animal endure the extreme heat!
Hopefully one day we will all be able to ride into the 🌇🌆 sunset collectively with our beloved and faithful 🐴🐎 stallions! Take care!
Have you ever done PLEASE COME TO BOSTON by David Loggins? Great lyrics and vocals and music 🎵🎶 HAAA you are your own two different interpretations!! Great Reaction! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎🎸🤟🏼
One of my very favorites from this era. Although this song was written from a dream Murphey had it's jam packed with mystical signs, spirits, and portents. Just a beautiful, well conceived song. Needless to say, in the dry flat lands of the Midwest, the entire concept of a wildfire is very dangerous since it will spread very quickly, and the winds will magnify the blaze. The Yellow Mountain is a sacred place. A whirlwind or tornado is a dangerous thing, but in Native American folklore it's a spiritual one, especially when someone seems a part of it. Native Americans and people in the Wicca religions plant by the dark of the moon for a healthy crop. Hoot owls and killer frosts are omens of death...and so on.
Great song and you obviously have a kind heart
Always glad to see reactors, like Angela, pull content from the Midnight Special performances. It was must see TV in the seventies each late Friday night.
There are some other versions of this song from Mr. Murphey on youtube. There is a Letterman show version and another older one where Michael has a better hair cut. I remember some radio stations cutting the intro for this song. But I always loved it! "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro is another tissue graber. DayOne has already reviewed it.
a beautiful and eerie song, appropriate for halloween.
She has to know this song!!!
try carolina in the pines. Very good as well.
I always loved this song. Here's my interpretation. A Nebraska farmer is reflecting on his mortality, leading him to tell the tragic story of the girl and Wildfire. He says she comes down yellow mountain, but there are no mountains in Nebraska, so I interpret that to mean he imagines her spirit riding out of the setting sun on the horizon. The owl outside his window for six nights is a harbinger of impending death. So, the farmer anticipates the girl's spirit coming to him when he dies, and they'll both ride Wildfire into eternity.
I remember it like it was yesterday
Song is about a dream.
The live one is nice - but the studio version would’ve been the one to listen to.
Yes
Big heart little lady ❤
I always thought this was so sad.
My dear Angela this song is another childhood favorite although I do prefer the studio version and I think for your first listen you would have enjoyed the song more with the studio version.
What I always thought was the woman died during the winter and the horse sensing his rider was gone lost his life running in the blizzard...and then the man heard an owl outside his window a year later signaling her and the horse's return to come and take him away from his suffering and take him into heaven
That pretty much sums it up
As good as this is for us who know the song, the studio is far and above a better listen to the song and its remarkable sound
This IS the version to listen to.
I'm so lucky to have a friend that owns 10 horses..She's has me come out once a month to give them all a good ride on her 40 acres...and I do it for free, because the bond between us when we ride is magical. ( Especially Harry, a beautiful Arabian male that loves to run and test his physical limits) As for this hit song, it is a tear-jerker, can't blame ya for choking up.
Next you should react to Chesnut Mare by The Byrds. Love your reactions!
The studio version is better! Damn!!
Wow that was a Shortened version too, an entire verse missing
onthing about this, I didn;t Nebraska had mountains, I thought it was all flat...
Since you're doing story telling songs here's a couple.
Letters From War by Mark Schultz.
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia by Vicky Lawrence.
The Killing Of Georgie by Rod Stewart.
Rock And Roll Heaven by Righteous Brothers.
Another great song Michael Martin Murphy is cosmic cowboy his version is great but the nitty gritty dirt band does a wonderful cover
This music is a prime example of how poor in quality, by comparison, is today's "popular music". It is not musical, its lyrics are pathetic, if not banal, its delivery is full of "glitz" but of very little redeeming quality. Corporations have taken over the industry and demand immediate "hits" and popularity to rake in greedy profits. Musical artists are no longer free to compose what they want; their creative artistry is no longer encouraged or supported. The result is extremely poor quality and almost immediately forgettable. So sad what has happened... : (
Could not agree more! I cannot imagine in 20+ years that people will doing video reactions to today’s music! They will still be reviewing Jim Morrison, Harry Chapin, The Stones, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, et al. Today’s compositions are so vapid.
Why are you even here. Click off and listen to the next song!
@@sherribrock2726 They aren’t criticizing this song, they are criticizing music made in this decade. And rightly so.
Dayone, you've completely missed the story of this song. The horse busted out of its stall apparently during a winter storm and the the lady went out looking for him calling the horses name, which was "Wildfire". In the second and third stanza he sings the following:
Oh, they say she died one winter
When there came a killing frost
And the pony she named Wildfire
Busted down its stall
In a blizzard, he was lost
She ran calling Wildfire
She ran calling Wildfire
She ran calling Wildfire
The horse broke out after she died
❤❤❤❤❤
Carolina in the Pines is another song of Mike's
😉 Wouldn't be the 70's Without Some Robin Trower.....
....."Long Misty Days" Has been one of my favorite songs my entire life.....
....So Many Great Artists That Didn't Get Heavy Rotation Airplay🎸
How about Paula Cole's Where Have All the Cowboys Gone or Linda Ronstadt's Desperado or Willie Nelson's Seven Spanish Angels?
Dang it! Why do people write songs like this? Though I am surely grateful that they do!
My older sister bought one of those K-tel albums with the latest hits on it, and this was one them. Those albums sucked because the gave about a minute and a half for each song, and if the song was too long it cut off the remainder 😅. I think it got to Wildfire busting down the stall and that was it.
The studio is much better, because he sings the song straight forward. Too many artists stray from what made their songs great and sing it differently. Though this is still great, it is the case here. I think you'd appreciate the studio more because the flow is much better and he doesn't try to over-sing it as he does here.
Could not agree more
@@MauricioDelaRosa-db7rr I appreciate the response 😊👍
I heard this song over and over on the radio, and had to get the album Blue Sky-Night Thunder. That studio cut is much better than this Live recording (please compare!). Jac Murphy on piano (no relation).
Angie he has 2 more hits, Carolina in the pines and My wife's favorite What's Forever For
Another one of those "Saddest songs I've ever heard" songs. They could turn this into a movie but with a happy ending years later. Amnesia or something, finds her decades later, they have different lives and she slowly remebers who he is and what happened. .But I always thought of this as a man who lost his young daughter, not his wife, due to her love of her horse....like he fond the hosre's body butnever fond her for years. Some rescued her, but she had anesia from fallingoff the horse when she had been found by someone who did'nt know her. But no, people want stupid violent animated hero action movies and crap.
Aw shucks Angela - you ole romantic you!
Whiskey lullaby, please with Brad Paisley and Alison krauss
This band played a more extended version that featured more of the piano, and Michael's own guitar playing, it's amazing. Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/gl4Y4FWWkn0/w-d-xo.html
I had the 45 rpm vinyl of Wildfire back in the 70s. The recording is much better than this live rendition. Man, I'm dating myself!
Michael Martin Murphey - Wildfire .. I really love this song and have it in my library. ...I do like the Midnight specials but the sound isn't that good in this one. Studio version is fantastic.IMHO
👍👍
If you want a real tear jersey story try listening to "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine. Make sure you have tissues....you of all people are definitely going to need them.
Piano player is Jac (Jacque) Murphy (no relation) from Dallas - used to teach at SMU and play at a bar in Lower Dallas - saw Michael twice in pretty small venues, really liked him - Murphey took inspiration from a ghost story his grandfather told him. A lot of song's lyrics are basically fiction. And I'll take MMM over John Denver any day.
My kids and I used to listen to this song and all join in together on the chorus.. a shame, badly mixed as the instruments drown out his vocal...my kids are grown now, but this song brings back great memories..yiounare atill my favorite Angela, you wear your heart in your sleeve like me
Bob Segar fir story telling
you really need to listen to the Studio Version this doesn't have the Haunting Sound of the original Record
In this case I'd have to say the album cut is better.... Still lovely song.
I love the studio version. This, not so much.
studio version a better starting place
Great song and artist, there's better quality videos of this out there 👌 😅
Have to listen to the original radio version, this recording sucked. Still a very memorable song... couldn't turn on the radio at the time and not hear it.
Elvis has a sad song about a dog named OLD SHEP.
I guarantee it will bring tears to your eyes. His voice is truly magic.
Once again, you need to listen to the extended version of this song. You are interpreting this song so wrong with this short version.
This live version isn't as good as the studio version imo but great song either way.
th-cam.com/video/gl4Y4FWWkn0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=zgF1OqEhoIphzo8i
Angela, I suggest you listen to a few other versions. (Great Soothing Tune)