Discography
Albums:
Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys (BMG, 1990)
Honest (BMG, 1991)
Singles:
Jack Talking (BMG, 1990)
Love Shines (BMG, 1990)
Crown of Madness (BMG, 1991)
Out of Reach (BMG, 1991)
Here We Go Again
Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whose name was Survival
He died in the winter of a happy revolution
There were militant marches
Over his dead body
Children were crying and begging for mercy
One
Here we go again
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
She's turning and turning, our American Sister
Hands full of arrows and paperback bibles
Like a boxing hero
She stands in the ashes
The voice of Martin Luther
Through the radio flashes
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
Oh here we go again
Black snow in the fields again
But tell me where is the friendship train?
It's been a long time coming
I once knew a pony
Name was religion
Head full of hatred and misguided morals
He was blinded from reading
Worn out and bleeding
But he'll never give in, no
Till the day he stops breathing
Devil in the kitchen and the clock strikes nine
His words are spoken in a voice sublime
Apocalypse then and misery now
Nothing you do is going to work anyhow boy
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I once knew a pony
Whose name was Survival
He died in the winter of a happy revolution
There were militant marches
Over his dead body
Children were crying and begging for mercy
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
She's turning and turning, our American Sister
Hands full of arrows and paperback bibles
Like a boxing hero
She stands in the ashes
The voice of Martin Luther
Through the radio flashes
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
Oh here we go again
Black snow in the fields again
But tell me where is the friendship train?
It's been a long time coming
I once knew a pony
Name was religion
Head full of hatred and misguided morals
He was blinded from reading
Worn out and bleeding
But he'll never give in, no
Till the day he stops breathing
Devil in the kitchen and the clock strikes nine
His words are spoken in a voice sublime
Apocalypse then and misery now
Nothing you do is going to work anyhow boy
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I once knew a pony
Whose name was Survival
He died in the winter of a happy revolution
There were militant marches
Over his dead body
Children were crying and begging for mercy
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
She's turning and turning, our American Sister
Hands full of arrows and paperback bibles
Like a boxing hero
She stands in the ashes
The voice of Martin Luther
Through the radio flashes
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
Oh here we go again
Black snow in the fields again
But tell me where is the friendship train?
It's been a long time coming
I once knew a pony
Name was religion
Head full of hatred and misguided morals
He was blinded from reading
Worn out and bleeding
But he'll never give in, no
Till the day he stops breathing
Devil in the kitchen and the clock strikes nine
His words are spoken in a voice sublime
Apocalypse then and misery now
Nothing you do is going to work anyhow boy
One
Here we go again
Two
Here we go again
We're all gonna be history
Three
Here we go again
The lyrics of "Here We Go Again" by Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys express a sense of frustration and hopelessness towards humanity's repetitive struggle for power and control that often leads to violence and destruction. The first verse talks about a pony named Survival who died during the revolution. As children cry and beg for mercy, it seems clear that the revolution is not one of peace but is instead violent and divisive. The repeated phrase "Here we go again" emphasizes the cyclical nature of humanity’s constant battle over power.
In the second verse, the lyrics shift to a female figure, referred to as “our American Sister” who has arrows and paperback bibles in her hands. She stands in the ashes among the destruction, as if she is the hero who will lead people out of their misery. However, the repetition of "Here we go again" implies that this may be another attempt at control rather than true leadership that will bring long-lasting change. The lyrics further explore the lack of progress in the third verse in which the singer reflects on how the friendship train has been gone for a long time.
Overall, the song portrays a message of futility about the power structures of society and how seemingly endless cycles of violence and control lead to hopelessness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
I once knew a pony
I had a friend who was like a pony
Whose name was Survival
He was named Survival, perhaps implying his ability to survive
He died in the winter of a happy revolution
He died during a revolution, but the revolution was perceived as happy or positive
There were militant marches, over his dead body
After his death, there were marches with a strong and forceful tone
Children were crying and begging for mercy
Children felt scared or threatened, and were pleading for things to be different
One, Here we go again
This is a repeated pattern or cycle
Two, Here we go again
This cycle keeps happening
We're all gonna be history
We will all be remembered as part of the past soon enough
Three, Here we go again
This cycle continues to repeat
She's turning and turning, our American Sister
Referring to a woman who is important to the US or is seen as a representation of the country
Hands full of arrows and paperback bibles
Carrying weapons and religious texts made of paper
Like a boxing hero, she stands in the ashes
Standing tall like a hero, even amid destruction
The voice of Martin Luther through the radio flashes
Reference to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speeches being echoed through media
Oh here we go again
The cycle continues
Black snow in the fields again
The landscape is full of soot and grime
But tell me where is the friendship train?
Wondering about how people can come together in unity and cooperation
It's been a long time coming
This goal has been in the works or in the process for a while
Name was religion
The friend was obsessed with their faith
Head full of hatred and misguided morals
Their thoughts were filled with anger and beliefs that were not constructive for society
Devil in the kitchen and the clock strikes nine
An ominous and negative image
His words are spoken in a voice sublime
Even though the words are negative or disturbing, they may still sound pleasant or calming
Apocalypse then and misery now
Seeing the world as being in chaos or destruction, both in the past and present
Nothing you do is going to work anyhow boy
Actions taken may not change anything anyway
Contributed by Charlie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.