HORSE the band's lyrics are chaotic and colorful metaphors for vocalist Nathan Winneke's life, often with humorous or abstract pop culture reference titles and bases. Winneke has referred to his style on multiple occasions as "lynchian" in reference to his favorite film director David Lynch and his obtuse narrative style.
The band had jokingly labeled themselves "Nintendocore" very early on in their career in reference to the synth sound they had adopted. Some Nintendo characters that are metaphorically referred to include Cut Man from Mega Man, although the song is spelled "Cutsman" because the song was about a childhood friend Winneke grew up with and that was how they had said the character's name in youth; "Birdo", one of the bosses from the NES game Super Mario Bros. 2, in the song "Birdo" which was actually about Winneke's distaste for eggs and traumatic experiences with his stepfather early in his life ; and the rabbit-like nemesis from The Legend of Zelda in the song "Pol's Voice" which is about Winneke's early loathing of the sound of his own voice. Similarly, the song "A Million Exploding Suns" refers to the Marvel Comics character Sentry, a schizophrenic and agoraphobic hero with this abundance of power, pertaining to Winneke's double life as a musician and as a video rental clerk.
2007's A Natural Death featured significant lyrical and musical evolution into the concepts of nature and mortality while moving slightly away from the Nintendo metaphors. The song "Murder" is inspired by the Western novel Lonesome Dove, in which a Native American named Blue Duck stalks and kills white settlers on the plains. "Hyperborea" as a reference to Robert E. Howard's original "Conan" pulp fantasy stories from the 30s, and "The Red Tornado," a DC comics character from the company of which Winneke is such an open enthusiast.
The band's line-up has continuously fluctuated in its 10 year history. In February it was announced that Chris Prophet had been fired and Jon Karel from The Number Twelve Looks Like You would be filling in on drums during Earth Tour. In July, 2008 the band stated that long-time band friend Daniel Pouliot of Bleeding Kansas had joined as the band's full time drummer. On Wednesday, December 3 2008, the band announced that Dash Arkenstone would be leaving the band soon, though he remains on good terms with the other members and has attended local shows.
The band booked its own tours starting the summer of 2002, including a 3-month tour spanning seven countries. With a carefully maintained web presence including their MP3.com and MySpace accounts, they had gained themselves a niche audience. In the summer of 2004, the HORSE the World Tour 2004 included 85 shows in 90 days, spanning 7 countries throughout North America and Europe.
Their latest album, titled Desperate Living, was released on October 6, 2009.
Cutsman
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With his tricks and vile forms of play
Hacking shaving slicing mutillating
All that gets before him or that gets in his way.
Coming around down the stairs
The wood cracked beneath my feet
My hand slid across the rail
Collecting dust on my fingertips
Then I came into a dark room
That smelled of wet stone and many years
And there was a robotic retard
With a blank empty stare
It was a little android man
Half the size that I am
Scissors on his head
Scissors on his fucking head!
Little android man
Born without a soul
Without that force of reason
The scissors took control
Little android man
Born without a heart
If he's in your vicinity he'll cut you apart!
Here he comes
There's no time it's just a game
Don't look back he's right behind
And here's your piece of mind.
Cut! Cut! Cut Cut!
Cut! Cut! Cut Cut!
Little android man
Born without a soul
Without the voice of reason the scissors took control!
Little android man
Born without a heart
Anything in his vicinity he'll cut you apart.
Robotic retard counts his fingers
1 2 3 4
Little android man
Never never never trust a...
Little android man
He'll cut cut cut cut!
The song "Cutsman" by HORSE the band is a heavier, hard-rock tune with a strong focus on the lyrics. The song itself is essentially about a little android-man who has taken control of his scissors, using them to cut and maim anything that gets in his way. The opening lyrics describe him as "that little bastard," as he continues to hack and mutilate everything and anything he comes across.
The song takes the listener through the journey of the singer encountering this little android-man, with a chilling description of walking down the stairs, hearing the wood creak beneath his feet, before finally arriving in a dark room filled with the scent of "wet stone and many years." The intense, driving music behind the lyrics adds to the sense of urgency and danger which this situation seems to provoke.
Throughout the song, the chorus repeats the phrase "Little android man, born without a soul, without that force of reason, the scissors took control." This emphasizes the idea that the android-man's scissors have become so much a part of him that they have taken over, and he has become almost robotic in his behavior. The final two lines of the song are particularly chilling, as the android-man is counting his fingers while the singer warns to "Never never never trust a... Little android man, he'll cut cut cut cut!"
Overall, "Cutsman" is a dark and foreboding song with imagery that leaves the listener feeling unnerved and unsettled. The focus on the android-man's scissors and their control over him is a unique and creative way to tell this macabre tale.
Line by Line Meaning
That little bastard
Referring to the little android man who is a dangerous threat and is known for his vile pranks and foul play.
With his tricks and vile forms of play Hacking shaving slicing mutillating All that gets before him or that gets in his way
The little android man uses his destructive tricks to harm and mutilate anything that comes in his way.
Coming around down the stairs The wood cracked beneath my feet My hand slid across the rail Collecting dust on my fingertips
The singer takes us on a description of the approach he took, each sound and movement that he experienced to get where he is.
Then I came into a dark room That smelled of wet stone and many years And there was a robotic retard With a blank empty stare
The artist describes the room and the presence of the dangerous little android man with a zombie-like expression.
It was a little android man Half the size that I am Scissors on his head Scissors on his fucking head!
The artist describes in detail the appearance of the android man, his size, and the scissors which he uses to cut people apart.
Little android man Born without a soul Without that force of reason The scissors took control
Describing the android man as soulless, with no conscience to guide him, hence making the scissors take control of his actions.
Little android man Born without a heart If he's in your vicinity he'll cut you apart! Here he comes
The singer emphasizes on the android man's ability to cause harm whenever he is in the vicinity and warns us of his approach.
There's no time it's just a game Don't look back he's right behind And here's your piece of mind.
The artist expresses the urgency to escape the android man and leave it all behind to find peace of mind.
Cut! Cut! Cut Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut Cut!
This refrain represents the sound of the scissors as the android man continues to cut whatever that is around him.
Robotic retard counts his fingers 1 2 3 4 Little android man Never never never trust a... Little android man He'll cut cut cut cut!
In an attempt to make the android man seem even more robotic, the artist describes his behavior and provides a warning of never trusting him.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ARKENSTONE, DERBA, ENGSTROM, ISEN, PROPHET, WINNEKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind