Ride on
Ryan Kelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

True you ride the finest horse I've ever seen
Standing 16' one or two, with eyes wild and green
You ride the horse so well, hands light to the touch
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you

I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you, I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

When you ride into the night, without a trace behind
Run your claw along my gut, one last time

I turn to face an empty space, where you used to lie
I look for the spark that lights the night
Through a teardrop in your eye

Ride on, see you, I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you, I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you, I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you, I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

Overall Meaning

"Ride On" by Ryan Kelly is a mournful love song that tells the story of a man who can never be with the woman he loves. The woman in question is a skilled horse rider who rides a magnificent horse, taller than any other horse he's ever seen, with striking wild green eyes. The singer is clearly in love with this woman and admires her skill as she rides the horse so flawlessly. However, despite his admiration and love for her, he knows that he can never be with her. The reasons for this are never explicitly stated, but the sad tone implies that perhaps the woman is unattainable, uninterested, or simply with someone else.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Ride on, see you," which could be interpreted as a farewell message to the woman, acknowledging that they will never be together, yet wishing her well on her journey. The line "when you ride into the night, without a trace behind" could be metaphorical, suggesting that the woman has moved on from the singer and is leaving him behind. The final verse is the most heartbreaking, as the singer realizes that the woman is truly gone and he is left with only memories of her. He looks for a glimmer of hope in her eyes, but even that is absent.

Overall, "Ride On" is a poignant song about unrequited love and the pain of letting go of someone you can never be with. The imagery of the woman riding the magnificent horse creates a sense of beauty and freedom, but ultimately serves as a contrast to the singer's own feelings of powerlessness and sadness.

Line by Line Meaning

True you ride the finest horse I've ever seen
You are an excellent horseback rider and have the best horse I've ever seen.

Standing 16' one or two, with eyes wild and green
Your horse is majestic and intimidating, standing tall with striking green eyes that show its wildness.

You ride the horse so well, hands light to the touch
You ride your horse with ease, showing your mastery of horseback riding with gentle touches and light hands.

I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
I know we can never be together, no matter how much I desire it.

Ride on, see you
Keep going and farewell.

When you ride into the night, without a trace behind
When you disappear into the darkness without leaving any evidence of your presence.

Run your claw along my gut, one last time
Before you go, leave a lasting physical mark on me as a reminder of your departure.

I turn to face an empty space, where you used to lie
I am reminded of your absence when I look at the spot where you used to sleep.

I look for the spark that lights the night
I search for a sign of hope or a way to ease my pain.

Through a teardrop in your eye
Through your own sadness and regret for our situation.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUGLAS M. JOHNSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

Marilyn Wink

10y↑186

Ryan is one in a million. I truly love all of Ryan's numbers but this one is exceptional. I really think that this song was written specially for him. He puts so much energy into it. It's very noticeable in his hand movement and the way moves over the sage. You can also see it in his eyes. Thank you so much, Ryan.