Read Full Bio ↴Horse Feathers is an American indie folk band from Portland, Oregon.
After fronting several rock bands in his native Idaho, singer/songwriter Justin Ringle moved to Portland, OR in 2004 and began focusing on acoustic music, playing open mics regularly under the moniker Horse Feathers. In 2005, multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick heard a couple of Justin's demos and offered to help flesh them out. In February 2006 the duo went into Skyler Norwood's Miracle Lake studios and recorded their debut album, Words are Dead, which was released that September on Portland label, Lucky Madison. Later that year, Peter's sister Heather Broderick joined the group on cello and by 2007, Horse Feathers began featuring a rotating cast of instrumentalists backing Justin's guitar and vocals.
Justin and the Brodericks returned to Miracle Lake studios in the fall and winter of 2007 and recorded House With No Home, which was released on Kill Rock Stars in the spring of 2008. Around that time, Peter left the country to pursue music in Europe, and Nathan Crockett was enlisted to cover violin duties. Several months later, Heather also left the group to pursue other musical projects and cellist Catherine Odell came on board. The current lineup was rounded out at the beginning of 2009 when Sam Cooper joined as a multi-instrumentalist. As a four piece, the group has been touring extensively and released a new album entitled Thistled Spring on Kill Rock Stars, April 20th, 2010.
Eyes Full of Rose
Horse Feathers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They love to sing, only to be seen.
They are cross 'cause they are clean.
They are grave 'cause they are green.
By tongue, by teeth.
By fist or feet.
There's two on the nose,
I hid to see.
Eyes full of rose.
She tips on her toes,
Her father's ears,
They are keen.
Late in a dream,
It remains to be seen
If his grave is in flames.
They move, they touch. Perhaps too much.
They love to sing, only to be seen.
They are cross 'cause they are clean.
They are grave 'cause they are green.
The lyrics to Horse Feathers's song "Eyes Full of Rose" are cryptic and require some interpretation. The first and second stanza describe a group of people or maybe a family, who are characterized as being very physical and passionate (“move, touch, love to sing”). At the same time, they seem to be confined by societal rules and norms, indicated by their cleanliness and the fact that they only want to be seen. The contradiction of their physicality and their need for societal conformity gives a sense of dissatisfaction that could lead to frustration or even violence (“by fist or feet”). The following lines mention two people fighting (“two on the nose”) and the singer hiding to see the bloody aftermath.
The chorus talks about a woman with “Eyes full of rose,” a metaphor that usually indicates looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, that is, seeing things in an overly positive way. The woman is described as tipping on her toes and her father is mentioned as being attentive or watchful (“keen”). The last line is particularly enigmatic - "It remains to be seen / If his grave is in flames" - suggesting some unresolved mystery or tension. The final stanza is a repetition of the first, emphasizing the physicality and the need for visibility of the group described.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a group of people who are grappling with their desires and their limitations, implying some tension or frustration that bubbles beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
They move, they touch. Perhaps too much.
They are physically affectionate with each other, possibly excessively so.
They love to sing, only to be seen.
They enjoy performing music, but it's primarily for the attention they receive from others.
They are cross 'cause they are clean.
They are annoyed or irritable due to maintaining a high level of hygiene or cleanliness.
They are grave 'cause they are green.
They take things seriously because they are inexperienced or naive.
By tongue, by teeth.
Violence may be perpetrated through language or physical force.
By fist or feet.
Violence may be perpetrated through physical force, specifically punches or kicks.
There's two on the nose, It's bloodied and broke.
Two people were involved in a physical altercation that resulted in a broken, bloody nose.
I hid to see.
The artist was watching the altercation in secret, out of sight.
Eyes full of rose.
The person being referenced has been influenced by romanticized or idealistic thinking.
She tips on her toes, Her father's ears, They are keen.
The person being referenced stands on their toes, and their father is highly attentive or watchful.
Late in a dream, It remains to be seen If his grave is in flames.
Later in the dream, it's not yet known whether the person being referenced will experience a tragic or fiery death.
Contributed by Aiden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.