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.
Big Blue Violence
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The opening line "and on came a dawn" is a nod to the beginning of something new. The phrase is also a metaphor for life and the different phases that come with it, just like how the dawn leads to a new day, new experiences bring new opportunities. The repetition of "you thought I'd say dying black but I saw burning red" is a play on expectations versus reality. It suggests that the listeners may have anticipated a certain response from the singer, but instead, they experienced a whole different emotion. The line "it was all pedal down full speed anticipation" adds to this idea, emphasizing the thrill and rush that comes with the unexpected.
The following lines "all the stars gave way to a big blue violence, everything like a gem perfect like we've always wanted" describes the singer's experience, where every aspect of it was perfect, like a gem. However, towards the end, the description of the atmosphere changes drastically to "a big blue violence." The color blue is often associated with calmness, and in this context, it seems the singer lost control and was engulfed by destructive forces. The overall meaning of the song suggests that while we may strive for perfection, sometimes things beyond our control, like the big blue violence, can change us and the way we see life.
Line by Line Meaning
.....and on came a dawn.....
With the break of day came a transformative experience.
YOU THOUGHT I'D SAY DYING BLACK but I saw burning red,
Despite your expectations, I witnessed a fiery and passionate scene instead of a bleak and dark one.
it was all pedal down full speed anticipation- burning my belly, the scent and the hunger- waves crashing through amber coasts, twilight drives pacify
I was both excited and anxious, feeling a deep hunger for the unknown as I raced towards my destination, all while enjoying the calming scenery around me.
........and then ignite.
And then suddenly, everything burst into flames and chaos.
all the stars gave way to a big blue violence, all the stars gave way to a big blue violence, everything like a gem perfect like we've always wanted.
The peaceful and orderly world I knew was shattered by a sudden and overwhelming burst of unstoppable destruction that was both beautiful and terrifying.
in the crack of dawn ocean air told me things, this was what I had been waiting for, HER DO OR DIE APPEALED TO MY SENSIBILITIES, APPEALED TO ME- LIKE A SMACK,
As the morning light shone on me, I realized that the chaos I had just witnessed was a long-awaited revelation that spoke to my deepest desires and beliefs.
That's right-do or die, I came back different
And in that moment, I knew that I had been permanently changed by the experience, and that I could never go back to the way things were before.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ARKENSTONE, ENGSTROM, ISEN, PROPHET, WINNEKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind