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.
Octopus on Fire
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A flower blooms that was already dead
December's long gone
But these fields are forever frozen
And everything she said
Burns in the back of my head
Quick-sands of silver
Under dreams still glittering golden
All along I sing this song
It runs wild like a river inside
A voice cries out sharp words of doubt
If I take them to heart they make me bleed
Everyday my attention strays
Light like life it fades away
The clock it ticks
I turn my back
I feel the surface bulge and crack...
Tick tick tock tick tock tick tick tick tock tick tock tick
SLAM!
I want the change
I feel the change
Then post-metamorphosis where do the answers lie
One above and one below with lions locked inside
Then in silence turn the key
Setting all those lions free
Then I hold my head up higher and higher
Reach out tentacles to every desire
I faced the sea and it's time for a change
I am an octopus in flames
Sinking underwater
Sweating boiling getting hotter
Bubbles burst between my fingers
My breath is cracked and drawn
Sinking like an anvil
And facing several tentacles
My eyes go black and pop red cherries
The surface me is gone
Gone
I'm gone
Gone
I'm gone
I'm mesmerized - a servant to the light I can't deny it
With everyone standing here
I'm a million miles away
A change
The lyrics to HORSE the band's song Octopus on Fire paint a vivid picture of a person who is struggling with the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future. The opening lines describe a dead flower blooming in the heat of the singer's head, representing the memories and thoughts that they cannot escape. The fields, while frozen, still hold the memories of past conversations with someone who has left an indelible mark on the singer's psyche, and the dreams they have of that person are still "glittering golden."
The chorus, with its repetition of "tick tick tock tick tock tick tick tick tock tick tock tick," highlights the relentless passage of time and how it can lead to a sense of helplessness and anxiety. The singer sings of the sharp words of doubt that arise within them, causing them to bleed emotionally. Despite this, the singer has a yearning for change that they can't ignore.
The second half of the song speaks to a transformation, a change that the singer has been striving for. They sing of the answers being both above and below, represented by the locked lions. When the key is turned they are set free, symbolizing a breakthrough and the liberation of the self. The singer holds their head up higher, reaching out tentacles to every desire. They face the sea, representing both an unknown future and a sense of adventure, as they are now an "octopus in flames." The final lines depict the singer sinking underwater, facing the tentacles that represent their fears, and feeling a sense of loss as the "surface me is gone."
Line by Line Meaning
Right now, in the heat of my head
At this moment, my mind is consumed by intense thoughts
A flower blooms that was already dead
A new awakening happens in my mind despite the past experiences that made me feel dead inside
December's long gone
But these fields are forever frozen
Time moves on but some things seem to remain unchanged
And everything she said
Burns in the back of my head
The words of someone important continue to haunt me
Quick-sands of silver
Under dreams still glittering golden
Desires and aspirations remain, even though they may be overshadowed by reality
All along I sing this song
It runs wild like a river inside
A constant expression of emotion is always present and intense
A voice cries out sharp words of doubt
If I take them to heart they make me bleed
Negative self-talk has a damaging effect on the psyche
Everyday my attention strays
Light like life it fades away
Distractions and the passage of time cause things to lose their meaning
The clock it ticks
I turn my back
I feel the surface bulge and crack...
The passage of time is so overwhelming that it causes me to feel unstable and anxious
Tick tick tock tick tock tick tick tick tock tick tock tick
The sound of time passing becomes deafening and oppressive
SLAM!
I want the change
I feel the change
Suddenly, I am struck with a desire for change and the feeling that change is possible
Then post-metamorphosis where do the answers lie
One above and one below with lions locked inside
After a significant change, there are two opposing paths to follow, both with their own challenges
Then in silence turn the key
Setting all those lions free
In order to move forward, I must face my fears and release them
Then I hold my head up higher and higher
Reach out tentacles to every desire
I become more confident and more willing to pursue my ambitions
I faced the sea and it's time for a change
I am an octopus in flames
I am fearless and ready to embrace new beginnings, symbolized by the octopus on fire
Sinking underwater
Sweating boiling getting hotter
Bubbles burst between my fingers
My breath is cracked and drawn
Sinking like an anvil
And facing several tentacles
My eyes go black and pop red cherries
The surface me is gone
Gone
I'm gone
Gone
I'm gone
I am undergoing a transformation, symbolized by sinking underwater, but finding strength despite the challenges
I'm mesmerized - a servant to the light I can't deny it
With everyone standing here
I'm a million miles away
I am in a state of trance, detached from the world around me as I focus solely on my own growth and transformation
A change
Change is the only constant, and it is both powerful and unstoppable
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ARKENSTONE, BUCKLEY, ENGSTROM, ISEN, PROPHET, WINNEKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind