Formed in the mid 1990's, Bluehorses are fronted by co-founder and lead singer Lizzy Prendergast playing electric violin, electric Celtic harp, space-mandolin and synthesizer. The band also comprises Nic Waulker, on drums - co-founder and co-songwriter, Rhayn Jooste on Bass and Jay MacDonald on guitar.
Fusing the passionate intensity of Celtic themes, a heavy rock and roll mindset and stunning improvisations, Bluehorses' music is a genuinely unique hybrid.
Bluehorses have shared stages with bands as diverse as Hawkwind, The Levellers, Tricks Upon Travellers and Oysterband. They have played festivals in nearly every country of Western Europe and Scandinavia.
Bluehorses have received many accolades including a Mojo magazine 'Album of the Month' and a 'Best Of 2005' award from The Classic Rock Society.
Sleepy Hollow
Bluehorses Lyrics
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Where the little houses grow,
Woodlands make a skittle alley,
For the nouveau puppet show.
Badgers Dell and Sleepy Hollow,
Bullshit street with bullshit name,
Ticky Tacky hard to swallow,
So run, rabbit, run,
Hide from the midnight sun...
And we are
Coming round
and going round and
Coming round again
Now we're country living folk,
There's no need for a day return,
Miss the joke, stay home and poke
Dried flowers in our butter churn.
Four wheel drive for shopping trips,
We're out of towners, through and through,
We can give the local hicks
Someone that they can look up to...
The lyrics to Bluehorses's Sleepy Hollow depict the mundanity of suburban life, with its cookie-cutter little houses and ticky tacky streets that all look the same. The woodlands surrounding the neighborhood are reduced to a mere backdrop for a nouveau puppet show. The imagery of Badgers Dell and Sleepy Hollow emphasizes the quaint, small-town feel of the area, but Bullshit street with its bullshit name, is a stark contrast and speaks to the artificiality of modern life. The line "Ticky Tacky hard to swallow" implies a sense of disgust towards the homogeneity and artificiality of suburban living. The repetition of "coming round and going round" suggests a feeling of being trapped or stuck in this routine.
The second half of the song speaks to the idea of escaping this suburban lifestyle and embracing a more rustic country life. The "we" in the lyrics are now "country living folk" who miss the joke of city life and find joy in simple pleasures like drying flowers in their butter churn. The mention of a four-wheel drive for shopping trips highlights the fact that while they live more simply now, they still have the option and privilege to venture out to shop. However, their presence as "out of towners" in the local area creates a clear divide between them and the "local hicks" who see them as someone to look up to, perhaps as a symbol of progress or success in their eyes.
Line by Line Meaning
Up the hill and down the valley,
Traveling up and down different places, exploring new surroundings
Where the little houses grow,
Observing the growth of small houses in those places
Woodlands make a skittle alley,
The forest appears like a path leading to somewhere new
For the nouveau puppet show.
For the audience a new and exciting performance awaits
Badgers Dell and Sleepy Hollow,
Naming different places the artist plans to visit
Bullshit street with bullshit name,
Disliking the name and nature of a certain street
Ticky Tacky hard to swallow,
Feeling disgusted by the sight of similar-looking houses
Little boxes all the same...
All the houses look identical and unappealing to the artist
So run, rabbit, run,
Urging someone to get away from the danger of the midnight sun
Hide from the midnight sun...
Warning someone about the danger of staying out under the sun at midnight
And we are
The singer and their companions
Coming round
Circling around the town or approaching their destination
and going round and
Continuing to travel around the town
Coming round again
Returning to a previous location
Now we're country living folk,
Describing their current lifestyle as rural residents
There's no need for a day return,
No reason for them to go back to the city within the same day
Miss the joke, stay home and poke
Feeling left out of city culture and preferring to do their own activities in their home
Dried flowers in our butter churn.
Decorating their home with dried flowers in an old-fashioned butter churn
Four wheel drive for shopping trips,
Using a four-wheel drive vehicle to do shopping and travel outside of town
We're out of towners, through and through,
Being known as non-locals in the town
We can give the local hicks
Giving the local residents someone to look up to
Someone that they can look up to...
Being a role model for the local residents
Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.