I found the ghost of Will Harbut on the Huffman Mill Rd
He said, "I'm looking for Big Red, tell me where did he go?
Where's Mr. Riddle and the Faraway Barns?"
I said, "I'm sorry Mr. Harbut, I think they've all gone.
They moved all your bones to the outskirts of town
And the farm is a housing development now"
He sat right down with his hat in his hand
"Can you explain this, I can't understand"
I choked on the words
I felt a great shame
They're selling the Bluegra**
The fences are black
The old days are gone
And they ain't coming back
I showed him the airport
I showed him downtown
That Keeneland was using a loudspeaker now
We tried to see horses but couldn't find one
When we drove Man O War Boulevard around Lexington
Then he asked me to take him to the Horse Park to see
Where the bones of Man O War and Will Harbut lie buried
In '47 when Man O War died
The funeral was broadcast nationwide
Presidents, Lords and grown women cried
A casket lined with his colors, there were nine eulogies
For the greatest racehorse ever raised in Kentucky
He won 20 races in 21 starts
One loss to a horse called Upset caused by a bad start
He carried as much as 138 pounds
No horse alive would have to carry that now
I first came to his gravesite when I was a child
I remember white fences running for miles
I watched the foals racing around just for fun
And thought of the races the red stallion had won
We sat there in silence until the sunrise
As he started to fade he gave me a smile
Bring me three red roses to lay on my grave
One for my horses
One for my pride
One for a great way of life that has died
Now you men who have sold out the Bluegra** for greed
With your Growth is Good stickers and your big companies
May you spend your life driving around and around
Those cookie cutter houses you've made of this town
May you hear on your d**hbed the Faraway bell
And may the ghost of Will Harbut lead you to Hell