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.
Purple
HORSE the band Lyrics
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The lyrics of HORSE the band's song Purple convey the intense pain and desperation of someone who feels utterly helpless and trapped in their own sorrow. The repeated phrase "sweet sweet pain" suggests a sense of masochism or resignation to suffering, as if the singer has become addicted to their own emotional torment. The thunder imagery and "fists slapping thudding BANGING RAGING" create a sense of violent release, as if the only way to purge the pain is through physical expression.
The mention of "empty hands" and the singer being "on the floor" suggest a sense of defeat or surrender, as if they have been rendered powerless. The thunder rings in their ears and the tears mix with puddles, creating a sense of chaos and confusion. The line "dying dreaming that was ripped from her heart while BEATING and dropped all red and sloppy here, on this clean tile floor" is particularly visceral, suggesting a violent loss of something precious that leaves the singer broken and bleeding.
The hole inside where ghosts and demons hide, coupled with the mention of "horrible nasty perverted things," suggests that the singer is haunted by more than just their own pain. The mother's voice whispering "spreading like a whore" suggests a sense of shame or guilt, as if the singer's suffering is seen as a personal failing. The final lines about being "weak with tears and dead with dreaming, wanting to be wanted and wanting nothing more" is a poignant expression of the desire for connection and validation, despite feeling utterly unworthy of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet sweet pain- like a thundercloud but tears are rain
The pain she feels is bittersweet, like a big looming thundercloud that portends rain, but the tears that come from it bring a kind of relief.
full fists slapping thudding BANGING RAGING
She's so angry and upset that she's hitting things with all her force, her fists connecting with things in hard and loud impacts.
wanting not to be weak with woe
She doesn't want to feel weak or vulnerable because of her sadness and pain.
empty hands-she's on the floor on the floor she SLAMS her empty hands like thunder
She's so upset and frustrated that she's slamming her empty hands on the floor like thunder, trying to release her emotions through physical expression.
it rings in her ears slapping thunder
The sound of her hands hitting the floor like thunder is so loud that it echoes in her ears.
splashing in the puddles of her tears lungs heaving from the crashing
Her tears are flowing so much that they're creating puddles on the ground, and her chest is heaving from the physical effort of her emotional release.
dying dreaming that was ripped from her heart while BEATING and dropped all red and sloppy here, on this clean tile floor
She feels like a part of her has died, something she's been dreaming for that was taken away from her while she was still passionately invested in it, leaving her feeling like a bloody mess on a clean floor.
Now there is a hole inside, where the ghosts and demons hide, whispering white wilting words of woe, hungry ugly crunchy things, HORRIBLE NASTY PERVERTED THINGS.
She feels like she's been hollowed out, leaving an empty space where her dark thoughts and fears can take up residence, feeding on the feelings of sadness and pain that have taken over her life.
in her head her mother whispers 'spreading like a whore'.
Even in her own head, she's hearing negative and hurtful comments from her mother that make her feel even worse.
weeping wilted pile heaving. weak with tears and dead with dreaming, wanting to be wanted and wanting nothing more.
She's crying and seems lifeless, feeling so weak from all the tears she's shed and the death of her dreams, but still wanting to be loved and desired, even though it seems out of reach.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ARKENSTONE, ENGSTROM, ISEN, PROPHET, WINNEKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind