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.
I Think We Are Both Suffering From The Same Crushing Metaphysical Crisis
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Activate,
initiate instruments set to yesterday!
At the speed light across empty plains of time,
on a ship of jewels and gold,
all of time unfolds.
A seven click blip,
for a fifteen eon trip.
Crafting deja vu,
event horizon boom.
Days rescind and lapse,
birth after death.
Tomorrow is the past,
event horizon boom.
Cities shrink and fade into the ice age.
Dinosaurs now new,
event horizon boom.
Time is broken!
How small are we compared to space and time? (played in reverse)
Time after time,
time after time,
time after time.
All these machines that dream,
make me want to scream.
There's no bears or wild things,
the future's not what it seems.
Causality denied,
all of time is now mine.
The crisis we both share,
is you are me when I was there.
Time after time,
it's almost time.
Time to say goodbye,
at the end of time.
The opening lyric of "Dilation of chronal aperture in 3,2,1" is a reference to the concept of time travel, indicating the beginning of a journey through time. The subsequent lines, "Activate, initiate instruments set to yesterday!" indicate the initiation of a time machine, taking the listener on a journey to the past. The speed of light and reference to a ship made of jewels and gold further emphasize the fantastical nature of this trip through time.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract, touching on concepts of time distortion and the distortion of reality itself. Lines such as "Crafting deja vu" and "event horizon boom" suggest that the experience of time travel is disorienting and unpredictable. The following lyrics touch on the idea that time is non-linear, with "tomorrow is the past" and "cities shrink and fade into the ice age".
The chorus "How small are we compared to space and time?" emphasizes the incomprehensible scale of the universe and the triviality of human existence. The final lyrics "The crisis we both share, is you are me when I was there" suggest a blurring of identities in the time-travel paradigm - highlighting the potential psychological ramifications of time travel.
Line by Line Meaning
Dilation of chronal aperture in 3,2,1
The opening of a gateway through time and space is imminent.
Activate, initiate instruments set to yesterday!
Prepare to journey back to the past and alter it.
At the speed light across empty plains of time, on a ship of jewels and gold, all of time unfolds.
Traversing the vast, empty landscape of time, experiencing all its wonders.
A seven click blip, for a fifteen eon trip. Crafting deja vu, event horizon boom.
A brief moment in time can result in a long journey through eons, creating a sense of familiarity and a cataclysmic event horizon.
Days rescind and lapse, birth after death. Tomorrow is the past, event horizon boom.
The linear experience of time fades away, allowing for new beginnings and endings. The future becomes the past in a flash.
Cities shrink and fade into the ice age. Dinosaurs now new, event horizon boom.
Witnessing the transformations of time as cities crumble and the ancient roars to life - all leading up to a grand event horizon.
Time is broken!
The fabric of time is unraveling, leading to a state of chaos and disarray.
How small are we compared to space and time? (played in reverse)
Our insignificance is highlighted when viewed through the lens of the vastness of space and time.
Time after time, time after time, time after time.
The repetition of time and the cycles of life and death that come with it.
All these machines that dream, make me want to scream. There's no bears or wild things, the future's not what it seems.
The overwhelming presence of technology and its disconnect from nature, leading to a sense of unease and anxiety about what's to come.
Causality denied, all of time is now mine. The crisis we both share, is you are me when I was there.
The rejection of the notion of cause and effect, leading to a belief in the power of the individual to control their own destiny. The shared crisis is the realization that we are all interconnected through time.
Time after time, it's almost time. Time to say goodbye, at the end of time.
As time draws to a close, it's a moment to reflect and let go - saying goodbye to what has been and preparing for what's next.
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.