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.
Crippled By Pizza
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've made a choice- I′ll stand by.
I'll take one more bite then lay down and die.
...and that one treasure, thick golden crust and a layer of cheese.
I'll face the consequences OF MY UNQUENCHABLE NEED!
I′m crippled. I′m crippled. I'm crippled by pizza.
I′m crippled. I'm crippled and i can′t go on.
I can't resist so I persist in this.
I seek, strike, and consume it every day.
It's shattered my colon and made me too fat to breathe.
I'm crippled. I′m crippled.
I′m crippled by each SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!
I'm crippled. I′m crippled.
I'm crippled and I can′t go on.
My hunger, it hurts me just to turn around and flirt with me.
Each slice, a paradise, but in the end I'm twice the size.
I′ve made a choice that I'll stand by.
I'll take one more bite then I′ll lay down and die.
PIZZA! PIZZA! I WANT PIZZA! JUST GIVE ME SOME FUCKING PIZZA!
In HORSE the band's song "Crippled By Pizza," the lyrics discuss the overpowering force that pizza has on the singer. The simple decision of whether or not to eat pizza has become a possession, a vision so compelling that the singer cannot resist. Despite the consequences of their unquenchable need for pizza, such as a shattered colon and being too fat to breathe, the singer persists in consuming it every day. Each bite is both delicious and crippling, leaving the singer unable to go on but unable to resist the temptation of pizza's powerful taste. This internal struggle between desire and consequence culminates in the decision to take one more bite and then lay down and die, illustrating the all-encompassing grip that pizza has on the singer.
The song's lyrics are both humorous and dark, highlighting the unhealthy relationship between the singer and pizza. It speaks to the larger issue of addiction and the power it can hold over a person's life. Through the use of hyperbole and irony, the song showcases the absurdity of being so consumed by a simple food item.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm crippled by a simple decision or possibly possessed by a vision.
I am struggling to make a choice, and I feel as though I may be under the influence of an outside force.
I've made a choice- I'll stand by.
I have finally made a decision, and I will not change my mind.
I'll take one more bite then lay down and die.
I know that my addiction to pizza will eventually kill me, but I cannot resist one more bite.
...and that one treasure, thick golden crust and a layer of cheese.
The pizza that I crave is made with a delicious crust and topped with a layer of melted cheese.
I'll face the consequences OF MY UNQUENCHABLE NEED!
I know that my love for pizza will have negative repercussions, but I cannot stop myself.
I'm crippled. I'm crippled. I'm crippled by pizza.
My obsession with pizza has taken over my life, leaving me helpless and powerless to resist.
I can't resist so I persist in this.
Despite knowing that pizza is harming me, I continue to consume it regularly out of sheer addiction.
So delicious, pizza's powerful taste.
The taste of pizza is so incredible that it makes it difficult for me to stop consuming it.
I seek, strike, and consume it every day.
I actively search for pizza, devour it, and repeat this process daily.
It's shattered my colon and made me too fat to breathe.
My addiction to pizza has caused significant harm to my health, rendering me overweight and unable to breathe properly.
I'm crippled. I'm crippled. I'm crippled by each SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!
The act of consuming each slice of pizza leaves me incapable of resisting the next, perpetuating my addiction.
My hunger, it hurts me just to turn around and flirt with me.
The constant craving for pizza hurts me, making it difficult to even think about resisting it.
Each slice, a paradise, but in the end I'm twice the size.
Each slice of pizza feels like utter bliss, but the long-term effects are causing me to gain weight exponentially.
PIZZA! PIZZA! I WANT PIZZA! JUST GIVE ME SOME FUCKING PIZZA!
I am consumed by my desire for pizza and will stop at nothing to satisfy my addiction.
Writer(s): Dashiell Han Arkenstone, Erik Daniel Engstrom, David Isen, Jeffrey Nathan Winneke, Christopher Lyle Prophet
Contributed by Alexandra O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.