Band of Horses, known early in its life simply as Horses, is an Indie band … Read Full Bio ↴Band of Horses, known early in its life simply as Horses, is an Indie band formed in Seattle, Washington, United States. The band's lineup has changed multiple times, and the current lineup consists of Ben Bridwell (vocals, guitar), Ryan Monroe (guitar, keyboards), Tyler Ramsay (keyboards, guitar), Bill Reynolds (bass) and Creighton Barrett (drums). The band is currently based in Charleston, South Carolina and has released five albums to date: "Everything All the Time" (2006), "Cease to Begin" (2007), "Infinite Arms" (2010), "Mirage Rock" (2013) and Why Are You OK?" (2016).

Band of Horses was formed by Ben Bridwell (guitar, vocals) and Mat Brooke (guitar) in 2004 after the break-up of their previous band, Carissa's Wierd. Rob and Creighton were formerly of the mathrock band The New Mexicans before joining Band of Horses. The group initially got attention from Sub Pop records after opening for Iron & Wine in Seattle area shows. In 2005, the band released their debut EP, Band of Horses Tour EP, which was sold exclusively at shows and on Sub Pop's website. Their debut full-length, Everything All the Time was recorded in 2005 with producer Phil Ek and released on March 21, 2006 to generally good reviews.

On July 13, 2006, Band of Horses appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman sans Brooke. As of July 25, 2006, Mat Brooke left Band of Horses to focus more on his other band, Grand Archives, who had also signed to Sub Pop.

The band's second album, Cease to Begin, was released on October 9 2007. The band has recently moved its base of operations from Seattle to Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Their album, Infinite Arms, was released in May of 2010.

Their album, Mirage Rock, was released in September 2012.

Their latest album, Why Are You OK? was released in June 2016.

for wicked gil
Band of Horses Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hate Gil, really now
Hate you because
Go tippy toe
Shut off to the world
Shut off to all, you ghost

Early told a lie
Afraid to be blind

Now go for a while
Shut off the world
Shut off to all
I'm yours
I'm yours

Helping evil people to say things they show
Said once before
I know evil people who say things
They don't know, oh

Begged Gil, really, why?
Stay through the night
I'm here for a while
Shut off to the world
Shut off to all
I'm yours
I'm yours

Helping evil people to say things they show
Said once before
I know evil people who say things
They don't know

Oh, why do I even care?
It's nothing now, oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Band of Horses’ song “For Wicked Gill” are open to interpretation, but with the somber and introspective nature of the song, it is likely that the lyrics are referencing a past relationship that ended badly. The singer seems to be struggling with their feelings towards a person named Gil, who they hate and are trying to shut out of their life. They feel like they were lied to and are afraid of being hurt again, yet they still have feelings for this person and want to be with them. This conflict is expressed through the repetition of the line “shut off to the world” and “shut off to all, you ghost.”

The second verse adds a new layer to the song with the mention of “evil people” who say things they don’t mean. This could be a reference to other people in the singer's life who are influencing their relationship with Gil or could be a comment on society in general. The singer is then shown pleading for Gil to stay with them, despite the previous negative feelings they had expressed. The song ends on a melancholy note with the singer wondering why they even care anymore.

Line by Line Meaning

Hate Gil, really now
Expressing a strong dislike towards Gil

Hate you because
The reason for the strong dislike is because of Gil

Go tippy toe
Walking carefully without making noise

Shut off to the world
Wanting to isolate oneself from the world

Shut off to all, you ghost
Isolating oneself from everyone and feeling like a ghost

Early told a lie
Telling a lie in the early stages of something

Afraid to be blind
Fearful of being deceived or misinformed

Now go for a while
Leaving for a period of time

Shut off the world
Wanting to isolate oneself from the world

Shut off to all
Isolating oneself from everyone

I'm yours
Being devoted or loyal to someone