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.
The Club
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living in this country,
We think where fucking free
But the mother fucking Fascist's wanna take the right from me
There sitting in our schoolboards,
There fucking with our courts,
There driving past our houses riding a fascist fucking horse.
Im sick,
Of being told,
Where to put my trash
By the whores association.
And my garage, MY PROPERTY!
Will be painted whatever color, i fucking please.
An honest student, from UCLA.
Asshole named Mario, try'ed to make him pay.
For a crime which he did not commit,
They had no evidence, just circumstantial shit.
A blatant disregard for his constatutional right,
Hes not gonna pay, without a fucking fight.
200 dollars, something he diddent do.
A fascist nation of bureaucracy, a big ==> FUCK YOU!
UGH!
I, wont listen
To your, fascist demands
No
I, wont listen
To your, fascist demands
Ohhh~ when will i find
An end to my despair,
Sooner or later, we face our greatest fear.
One by one we advocate our words,
In the name of order we dont put up a fight.
They let us in the hot tub,
Is this shit fucking free?
We pay the dues, the bills enough,
Just let us fucking be
[got lost transporting it overseas in my Nintendo sorry =[]
Do,
What you want,
IN YOUR HOME!
Just stay the fuck away from my residency.
And ill watch my filthy teenage porn on T.V
Anytime of day i fucking please.
UGH!!!!
I, wont listen
To your, fascist demands
No
I, wont listen
To your, fascist demands
Ohhh~ when will i find
An end to my despair,
Sooner or later, we face our greatest fear.
One by one we advocate our words,
In the name of order we ALL, PUT UP, A FIGHT!!!
Ahhhhhh!!!!!
AHHHH!!!!
AHHHHH!!!!
AahhHH!HH!H!
AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
AAAAHHHH!!!~~!!!
-Link
HORSE the band's song "The Club" is a political commentary on the state of freedom and fascism in society. The lyrics address issues such as government intrusion into personal lives, bureaucratic red tape, and constitutional rights. The song begins with an observation that the fascist has a hold on the nation – they sit on school boards, manipulate courts, and ride horses past people's homes. The singer is frustrated with being told what to do by those in power, such as the "whores association" dictating where to put trash and what color one's garage should be.
The song escalates with a story of an honest UCLA student falsely accused and charged $200 by the fascist nation of bureaucracy. The singer then reiterates that they will not listen to the fascist's demands, and the song ends with a primal scream of advocacy for speaking out against the fascist takeover. HORSE the band's "The Club" is an important commentary on societal issues, reminding listeners to stay vigilant and speak out against forces that seek to take away civil liberties.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in this country,
Despite living in a seemingly free country, the presence of fascists is felt.
We think where fucking free
Although we think we have freedom, it is constricted by the fascist presence.
But the mother fucking Fascist's wanna take the right from me
Fascists seek to limit the liberty of individuals.
There sitting in our schoolboards,
Fascists hold powerful positions in our institutions of education.
There fucking with our courts,
Fascists pervert the justice system to their advantage.
There driving past our houses riding a fascist fucking horse.
Fascists make their presence known in all aspects of society, even leisurely activities.
An honest student, from UCLA.
A student from a reputable university who operates under ethical principles.
Asshole named Mario, try'ed to make him pay.
An unpleasant person by the name of Mario attempted to coerce the student into paying for a crime they did not commit.
For a crime which he did not commit,
The student was falsely accused of a crime they did not commit.
They had no evidence, just circumstantial shit.
The case was not built on substantial evidence, rather circumstantial evidence was used as the basis of accusation.
A blatant disregard for his constatutional right,
The fascist party showed no regard for the constitutional right of the student.
Hes not gonna pay, without a fucking fight.
The student will stand their ground and not be bullied into paying for something they did not do.
200 dollars, something he diddent do.
The student is forced to pay for something they didn't do as a result of fascist manipulation.
A fascist nation of bureaucracy, a big ==> FUCK YOU!
The nation is overrun by fascist bureaucracy that oppresses its citizens and restrains their freedom.
Ohhh~ when will i find
The singer is expressing despair and longing for change.
An end to my despair,
The artist desires an end to their distress caused by fascist oppression.
Sooner or later, we face our greatest fear.
The artist realizes that the fascist regime is their greatest threat and anticipates a confrontation with the regime.
One by one we advocate our words,
Individuals are raising their voices in protest against fascist oppression.
In the name of order we dont put up a fight.
The singer observes society's willingness to submit to the fascist regime in the name of order or stability.
They let us in the hot tub,
The artist is pointing out how the fascist regime allows minor liberties to give the illusion of freedom.
Is this shit fucking free?
The artist questions whether or not the small liberties granted are truly indicative of freedom.
Do,
The artist asserts their right to manage their own affairs.
What you want,
The singer encourages individuals to assert their independence and act as they see fit in their own space.
IN YOUR HOME!
Individuals should have complete freedom and autonomy in their own homes.
Just stay the fuck away from my residency.
Individuals should have the freedom to manage their own affairs and should not be interfered with by government agencies.
And ill watch my filthy teenage porn on T.V
The singer is asserting their right to do as they please within the confines of their own space, even if those activities are frowned upon.
Anytime of day i fucking please.
The singer will act as they please without the infringement of government intervention.
In the name of order we ALL, PUT UP, A FIGHT!!!
The artist is calling for unity and the willingness to fight against fascist oppression.
Contributed by Alexis S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gena Sonnenberg
Hey fellow rockers I frequented sober club often in the early 2000‘s I am hoping you guys may have picked up CDs from some of the other local bands? Searching for Bedlem cds od StandPoint I currently have a Cold like December and Aniko cd that work. Tia