Light out and ride

Posted by The CyberSaddleTramp on February 16, 2003

Recently, I was searching lyrics to a Mark Knopfler tune called "Camerado" and found the line "light out and ride" misquoted frequently. I understood the phrase to mean "get going", "get out of here fast" or "leave quickly". I have a sense that I may have heard this from old "B" westerns I watched as a kid in the fifties. I suspect it may have something to do with bandits around a campfire that would have a posse come up on them and they would kill the light of the fire, mount up on their horses and scatter in all directions. Or possibly, blowing out a latern after saddling up in a barn and riding out.
If you have ideas or have knowledge of the origin or meaning of this phrase, I would appreciate hearing them.

• Light out and ride masakim 02/16/03
  • Mark Twain's famous use R. Berg 02/16/03