If wishes were horses, beggars would ride ...

- English Proverb
- First appeared in print in a collection of proverbs published by John Ray in 1670

In the nineteeth century appeared in Halliwell's Collection of Nursery Rhymes as:

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side.

There are two similar versions of the song "If Wishes Were Horses"

Andy Williams recorded the song "Little Boy / If Wishes Were Horses" on the 1969 Columbia album "Rain Drops Keep Fallin On My Head"

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition recorded the song "If Wishes Were Horses" on their 1968 first album, the same one that contained "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition)".

Both songs have the lyrics:

If wishes were horse then beggars would ride,
On clouds of white stallions with bright fiery eyes,
Chasing stars into corners of yesterday's skies.

Where life was a game and good fun was the prize,
Where love was the bunny that lived down the street,
and pain was no rootbeer or cookies to eat.