Five Dollar Christmas Belle

Lyrics

[Verse 1] My bay mare left with another cowboy Two nights before Christmas Eve. Five worn dollars in my pocket, And eighty frozen miles from home. Old man down at Miller’s stockyard Looked at my five and shook his head. Steam rose off a little gray donkey. “Christmas Belle. Five dollars,” he said. [Pre-Chorus] Red ribbon bright against her halter, I took the reins; she set the pace. [Chorus] Christmas Belle, Kept her feet when the road turned glass. Snow came sideways through the pass, Four small hooves kept steady time. Christmas Belle, Five bucks bought the long way home. Eighty miles of winter white, She carried me home by morning light. [Verse 2] She took the middle of the road And left the reins alone. Past Miller’s Bridge the black ice started, Snow froze silver in her mane. A pine limb cracked and fell beside us; I waited for her feet to fly. She flicked one ear and kept on walking, Like leaving wasn’t in her. [Pre-Chorus] By the time we reached the ridgeline, I’d quit asking her for speed. [Chorus] Christmas Belle, Kept her feet when the road turned glass. Snow came sideways through the pass, Four small hooves kept steady time. Christmas Belle, Five bucks bought the long way home. Eighty miles of winter white, She carried me home by morning light. [Bridge] At the fork, the bay mare’s tracks ran westward. Porch lights glowed beyond the pines. I laid the reins loose on Belle’s neck. She took the road toward the lights. Halfway up the final ridgeline, I turned once to look behind. Snow was filling those westbound tracks. Belle never broke her stride. That was all the west I heard. [Final Chorus] Christmas Belle, Kept her feet when the road turned glass. Snow came sideways through the pass, Four small hooves kept steady time. Christmas Belle, Five bucks bought the long way home. Eighty miles of winter white, She carried me home by morning light. [Final Tag] Some things shine; some things stay. Christmas morning came. [Outro] Five dollars bought me Christmas Belle. Red ribbon hanging by the fire. Her halter waiting by the door.