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.
RustyGlove
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My body breaks - the void screams
Weary of hollow metals
That ring of hollow life
By hand and by hammer
I give birth tonight
Metals bend and metals scream
Welding bright the circuit seam
Between the twinkling lights
I lost something along the way
And it doesn't feel right
Maybe I"m not
Falling apart but I'm falling a lot
Maybe I'm not
Completely circuitry but I can't stop
I"m gonna fall apart!!!
I"m gonna fall apart!!!
Coming close I'm coming closer
Yet maybe I'm not
I can make you a sex machine
That would be hot
Break my nails and pull my hair
There's circuit boards everywhere
How long have I been in here
This is not my house
Maybe I'm not
Falling apart but I'm falling a lot
Maybe I'm not
Completely circuitry but I can't stop
I"m not a robot but I've got a mechanical hand
I can steal the stars and put them back again
Once upon a time - I had a broken heart
Once upon a time - I just had a heart
I limped when I was wounded - so I replaced my parts
Once upon a time I had a heart
I'm not a robot but I've got a mechanical hand
I can steal the stars and put them back again
If I am a machine because of my hand made heart
Why do I dream I'm a dinosaur tearing sheep apart
Lightning
Fill me up - it tells me where to go
Colors me and changes me
It withers me to coal
Lightning
Tears me up - leaves me smoldering
I close my eyes and her voice
Framed by vultures wings
In the wires of my hand I see my fate
Cold and mechanical squeaky with hate
It clicks whirls and is satisfied
It's designed to fill that black hole deep inside
Is turning away from the path of soft skin
To a path of mechanical sin
Turning away from the warmth of gold
To an empty machine that's broken and cold
Click click click hollow rooms always consume
Click click click dark and empty like most of the moon
Click click click the things we do in the name of love
Click click click secret machines and a rusty glove
Sleep well mechanical thing
You were fun for a while
But now I'm going going going
To go
Get
Get a burrito
The lyrics to HORSE the band’s song “RustyGlove” are rich with imagery of creation, loss, and transformation. The repetition of “tinker tinker tinker - pling pling - ding” evokes the sound of someone hard at work tinkering with metal, creating something new. Meanwhile, the lines “my body breaks - the void screams” suggest an intense physical labor that is also deeply isolating.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more aware of their own mechanical nature. “Maybe I’m not falling apart but I’m falling a lot” suggests that they are not literally breaking down but that they feel disintegrating in some less tangible way. They describe themselves as “completely circuitry” and testify to having “lost something along the way.” Nevertheless, they insist that they are “not a robot,” as if trying to hold onto a sense of human identity despite their mechanical nature.
The song concludes with the singer falling asleep and dreaming of a “mechanical thing” that was fun for a while but is now no longer satisfying. They declare their intention to “go get a burrito,” suggesting that they are yearning for something more tangible, nourishing, and human.
Line by Line Meaning
Tinker tinker tinker - pling pling - ding
Constant tinkering and experimentation leads to the creation of something new and exciting.
My body breaks - the void screams
The act of creation can be physically and mentally exhausting.
Weary of hollow metals
Tired of using shallow, meaningless materials.
That ring of hollow life
The emptiness of modern life is unfulfilling.
By hand and by hammer I give birth tonight
The artist is creating something new and exciting using their own skill and creativity.
Metals bend and metals scream
The materials used for creation are often difficult to work with but rewarding in the end.
Welding bright the circuit seam
The process of creating something new can be time-consuming and requires precision and expertise.
Weary of the hollow spaces between the twinkling lights
Sick of the superficiality of modern society and longing for something deeper and more meaningful.
I lost something along the way And it doesn't feel right
The artist has lost something important during the process of creation and feels unfulfilled as a result.
Maybe I'm not Falling apart but I'm falling a lot
Although the artist may seem to be struggling, they are not completely broken yet.
Completely circuitry but I can't stop
Despite feeling a sense of detachment and emptiness, the artist is unable to stop creating.
I'm gonna fall apart!!!
The artist is reaching a breaking point and fears they may not be able to continue.
Coming close I'm coming closer Yet maybe I'm not
Although the artist is making progress, they are unsure if they are truly getting closer to their goal.
I can make you a sex machine That would be hot
The artist is skilled enough to create something that is both complex and desirable.
Break my nails and pull my hair There's circuit boards everywhere
The creation of something new is often a messy and chaotic process.
How long have I been in here This is not my house
The artist has become so engrossed in their work that they have lost touch with reality and their sense of place.
I'm not a robot but I've got a mechanical hand
Although the artist has integrated mechanical elements into their creation, they still maintain a sense of humanity.
Once upon a time - I had a broken heart Once upon a time - I just had a heart I limped when I was wounded - so I replaced my parts Once upon a time I had a heart
The artist has experienced deep emotional pain in the past and has created something new in order to heal themselves.
If I am a machine because of my hand made heart Why do I dream I'm a dinosaur tearing sheep apart
The artist is struggling with their own identity and questioning whether they are truly human or machine.
Lightning Fill me up - it tells me where to go Colors me and changes me It withers me to coal Lightning Tears me up - leaves me smoldering I close my eyes and her voice Framed by vultures wings
The process of creation is intense and emotional, and the artist feels both empowered and drained by it.
In the wires of my hand I see my fate Cold and mechanical squeaky with hate It clicks whirls and is satisfied It's designed to fill that black hole deep inside Is turning away from the path of soft skin To a path of mechanical sin Turning away from the warmth of gold To an empty machine that's broken and cold
The artist is struggling with the idea of becoming too mechanical and losing touch with their human side.
Click click click hollow rooms always consume Click click click dark and empty like most of the moon Click click click the things we do in the name of love Click click click secret machines and a rusty glove
The artist is critical of the superficiality of modern society and its tendency to consume and discard people and ideas.
Sleep well mechanical thing You were fun for a while But now I'm going going going To go Get Get a burrito
The artist has finished their creation and is ready to move on to something new and more fulfilling.
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ARKENSTONE, ENGSTROM, ISEN, PROPHET, WINNEKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind