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 Failure of All Things
HORSE the band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My fists break
And I just can't take it
Sorry for the sores and holes in my heart
There's no love or life for either of us
You are alone and living in the desert
I'm sorry
I'm a fucking monster
I'm sorry
I wasn't there but I think that something was
I was in love
I still believe I am
These stony fingers steal from you
When these damned arms draw you in
Won't look at me
Won't speak to me
I am sorry you rotted like the waste of the vine
Even flesh and blood
Even heart and bone
Now open your eyes
And now say it
I'm the broken lamp man with the telephone injuries
My apologetic arms want to sing you to sleep
You dry heave when I ring and I ring
You knew I was broken and you got what you wanted
You got what you wanted
I'm certain that the cats are still hungry
I wasn't there but I know that something was
I was in love
I'm sorry that you're dead
The lyrics of HORSE the band's song "The Failure of All Things" express a deep sense of regret and sorrow, as the singer acknowledges their own flaws and failures, as well as the harm they have caused to others. The opening lines convey a sense of physical and emotional damage, as the singer apologizes for the "scales and scabs on [their] skin" and the "sores and holes in [their] heart." They seem to be acknowledging the pain they have caused others, as their "fists break" and they "just can't take it."
The song then shifts to address a specific person, who seems to be alone and struggling ("you are alone and living in the desert"). The singer expresses remorse for their actions, referring to themselves as a "fucking monster" and asking for forgiveness ("I'm sorry"). They express a belief that they were once in love with this person, but acknowledge that their actions have destroyed any chance of love or life for either of them.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of desperation and longing for reconciliation, despite the damage that has been done. The singer describes their arms as "apologetic" and wants to "sing [the other person] to sleep," but they are met with silence and rejection ("won't look at me, won't speak to me"). The final lines of the song reveal that the other person has died, adding another layer of sadness and regret to the already somber lyrics.
Overall, HORSE the band's "The Failure of All Things" is a poignant and honest portrayal of the pain and damage that can come from failed relationships, as well as the difficulty of moving on and finding closure.
Line by Line Meaning
Sorry for the scales and scabs on my skin
Apologizing for the visible scars and imperfections on my body caused by my emotional turmoil
My fists break
Anger and frustration has consumed me, causing me to lash out violently
And I just can't take it
I am overwhelmed by my feelings and cannot handle them anymore
Sorry for the sores and holes in my heart
Apologizing for the emotional damage I have inflicted on someone I love
There's no love or life for either of us
We have both suffered greatly and there seems to be no hope for us to find happiness together
You are alone and living in the desert
Metaphorically expressing the feeling of loneliness and isolation
Finding time to accept
Learning to come to terms with the situation and find peace within oneself
I'm sorry
Acknowledging my wrongdoing and expressing regret
I wasn't there but I think that something was
Feeling a sense of guilt and remorse for not being present when I was needed
I was in love
Expressing the depth of emotions felt for someone who is no longer around
I still believe I am
Despite it all, my love for that person is so strong that I still feel it to this day
These stony fingers steal from you
Metaphorically represents how negative emotions, such as jealousy or anger, can poison a relationship and steal away happiness
When these damned arms draw you in
Acknowledging that my behavior and actions contributed to the breakdown of the relationship
Won't look at me
The person cannot bear to look at me because of the pain and heartbreak they feel
Won't speak to me
The person has cut off communication with me as a means of moving on and healing
I am sorry you rotted like the waste of the vine
Apologizing for how the person was left to suffer as the relationship disintegrated
Even flesh and blood
Despite the familial and blood ties that bind us, the relationship has been fractured beyond repair
Even heart and bone
Despite the depth of love shared between us, the relationship has been left in ruins
Now open your eyes
Asking the person to face the reality of the situation and see the truth of what has happened
And now say it
Encouraging the person to express their feelings and confront the situation head on
I'm the broken lamp man with the telephone injuries
Using a metaphor to describe the emotional and physical pain I am experiencing
My apologetic arms want to sing you to sleep
Expressing a desire to make amends and seek forgiveness
You dry heave when I ring and I ring
Acknowledging that the person is no longer receptive to my attempts to make amends
You knew I was broken and you got what you wanted
Blaming the other person for taking advantage of my emotional vulnerability and discarding me when they were done
I'm certain that the cats are still hungry
Using a poetic device to describe the desolate and barren state of my emotional landscape
I wasn't there but I know that something was
Feeling regretful for not being present and preventing something from happening
I'm sorry that you're dead
Expressing regret and sorrow for the loss of someone I loved and how things ended between us
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.