Chelsea Joy Wolfe was born in Roseville, California, and grew up in Sacramento. She is of Norwegian and German descent. Her father was in a country band and owned a home studio. By the age of 7, she had written her first poem and by the age of 9, she had written and recorded songs which she later described as "basically Casio-based gothy R&B songs."
Inspired by the dark state of the world and the strange connection between all things, she creates a unique musical blend of goth-folk, experimental rock and spiritual realm funeral songs. With influences ranging from the great minds of Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch to Soviet and end-times literature, her songs conjure visions of other dimensions, claustrophobic echo-rooms and parking garage cathedrals.
Wolfe has recorded seven full length studio albums: The Grime and the Glow, which was released on December 28th, 2010 on limited vinyl through Brooklyn’s Pendu Sound Recordings; Ἀποκάλυψις (pronounced “Apokalypsis”), which was released as a 12” LP on August 23rd, 2011; Unknown Rooms: a Collection of Acoustic Songs, which was released on October, 2012 through Sargent House; Pain Is Beauty, out September 3rd, 2013; Abyss, which was released August 7th, 2015; and Hiss Spun, out September 22nd, 2017; Birth of Violence[7i] which was released on September 13th, 2019.
Reins
Chelsea Wolfe Lyrics
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Hold it inside
These horses they pull me
These horses they pull me
These tires they pull me
These winds they push me
These wires they pull me
These wires they pull me
These horses they pull me
These horses they pull me
These tires they pull me
On the unforgiving roads that lead to you
These winds these winds they push me
These wires these wires they pull me
These wires these wires they pull me
To you
And nobody can stop me now
“Reins” by Chelsea Wolfe is a poetic and cryptic song that suggests a longing for connection and the promise of finding freedom through yielding control. The opening line of the chorus, “hold the reins inside, hold it inside,” implies the need to restrain oneself and to internalize emotions or desires. The repetition of “these horses they pull me, these tires they pull me” creates a sense of inevitability or being pulled toward something that cannot be stopped.
The lines “on the unforgiving roads that lead to you” and “these wires they pull me to you” suggest that the singer is traveling a difficult path to reach a destination, likely a person or an idea. The use of natural elements such as the wind and the horses implies a sense of being at the mercy of external forces, which can be both frightening and exhilarating. The final line, “and nobody can stop me now,” implies a sense of determination and willpower, as if the singer is willing to overcome any obstacle to reach their destination, to “let the reins go.”
Overall, the song seems to reflect a complex mix of emotions, ranging from fear and desperation to hope and determination. It suggests that the quest for connection and fulfillment can be difficult but ultimately rewarding, and that one must be willing to take risks and let go of control in order to find freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold the reins inside
Keep everything under control and hidden within yourself
Hold it inside
Don't let anyone see the true extent of your emotions or pain
These horses they pull me
Strong forces beyond my control are leading me on a specific path
These tires they pull me
The tires on my vehicle are guiding me down a predetermined road
These winds they push me
The winds are propelling me towards a particular destination
These wires they pull me
Technology or society is exerting control over me
To you
All of these forces are driving me towards you
On the unforgiving roads that lead to you
The path to you is difficult and harsh, but I cannot deter from it
And nobody can stop me now
Despite any obstacles, I am determined to reach you and nothing can prevent that
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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