Oceans Ate Alaska signed to Density Records in 2012, two years after their formation in 2010. They released two EPs with the label. In 2014, the band signed to Fearless Records. The band was featured on Fearless Records' compilation album 'Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6', covering "Drunk in Love" by Beyoncé.
The band released their debut album 'Lost Isles' on February 24, 2015 and the next year played the entire 2016 Vans Warped Tour.
On December 16, 2016, the band announced on their Facebook that they were going into the studio to record their second album. They also announced that they had parted ways with vocalist James Harrison. On February 1, 2017 the band officially announced their new lead vocalist, Jake Noakes.
On May 25, 2017, the band released "Covert", the first single with Noakes performing vocals. On June 8, 2017 they released a new single titled "Escapist". On July 28, 2017, the band released their album Hikari' as well as a music video for the song "Hansha".
HIGH HORSE
Oceans Ate Alaska Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silver stairs to a castle so high,
That from the tallest tower you could touch the sky
On an island in an endless sea of sun
The devil dances on the horizon
With your head in the clouds,
I guess its hard to hear the sound of a dying world,
Where pure evil courses through its veins
We're just a stain in your beautiful creation
The poison to your apple.
We picked all those years ago
We are the poison!
You're just a snake in the grass,
That always seems to slither right
Through the cracks unscathed.
But you have no one to save you now!
I am filled with rage! I am filled with hate
Your way with words is your only asset.
Wormed your way into every aspect of my life.
What makes you think I'd give up without a fight?
Get off your high horse and bow before me!
Silver stairs to a castle so high,
That from the tallest tower you could touch the sky
On an island in an endless sea of sun
The devil dances on the horizon
In "High Horse," Oceans Ate Alaska delivers a haunting and foreboding critique of human dominance and its implications for the world. The song opens with a demand for the listener to get off their high horse and bow before the singer, indicating a power dynamic in which the listener has been placed on a pedestal. From here, the lyrics paint a picture of opulence, with silver stairs leading up to a castle so high that one could touch the sky. This castle is located on an island in an endless sea of sun, an idyllic image that is quickly subverted with the arrival of the devil on the horizon.
As the song progresses, the singer implores the listener to recognize their role in the world, calling them out as a snake in the grass that slithers through the cracks unscathed. The singer is filled with rage and hate, demanding that the listener bow before them as a way of acknowledging their own insignificance in the grand scheme of things. The final line is a potent reminder of the song's central message: that the devil dances on the horizon, and the world is a place of pure evil coursing through its veins.
Line by Line Meaning
Get off your high horse and bow before me!
Stop acting superior and show me respect
Silver stairs to a castle so high,
An ornate structure, built by privilege and wealth
That from the tallest tower you could touch the sky
Elevated position and power over others
On an island in an endless sea of sun
Isolated from the struggles of the common people
The devil dances on the horizon
Doom and destruction approaching
With your head in the clouds,
Unaware of reality and the plight of others
I guess its hard to hear the sound of a dying world,
Neglecting the problems that will affect us all
Where pure evil courses through its veins
A society corrupted by greed and malice
We're just a stain in your beautiful creation
Undesirable, insignificant but unfortunately present
The poison to your apple.
The cause of your downfall
We picked all those years ago
The roots of the problem stem from the past
You're just a snake in the grass,
A sly and treacherous individual
That always seems to slither right
Easily maneuvering through problems
Through the cracks unscathed.
Avoiding any repercussions
But you have no one to save you now!
Abandoned by those you deceived
I am filled with rage! I am filled with hate
Overwhelming emotions towards the injustices
Your way with words is your only asset.
Lack of true merit, relying on manipulation
Wormed your way into every aspect of my life.
Infiltrated and caused harm to personal matters
What makes you think I'd give up without a fight?
Determined to resist and overcome the oppression
Get off your high horse and bow before me!
Stop acting superior and show me respect
Silver stairs to a castle so high,
An ornate structure, built by privilege and wealth
That from the tallest tower you could touch the sky
Elevated position and power over others
On an island in an endless sea of sun
Isolated from the struggles of the common people
The devil dances on the horizon
Doom and destruction approaching
Contributed by Benjamin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@abusedlilbunny03
LYRICS PULLED FROM A-ZLYRICS
Get off your high horse and bow before me!
Silver stairs to a castle so high,
That from the tallest tower you could touch the sky.
On an island in an endless sea of sun.
The devil dances on the horizon.
With your head in the clouds,
I guess its hard to hear the sound of a dying world,
where pure evil courses through its veins.
We're just a stain in your beautiful creation.
The poison to your apple.
We picked all those years ago.
We are the poison!
You're just a snake in the grass,
that always seems to slither right through the cracks unscathed.
But you have no one to save you now!
I am filled with rage! I am filled with hate...
Your way with words is your only asset.
Wormed your way into every aspect of my life.
What makes you think I'd give up without a fight?
Get off your high horse and bow before me!
Silver stairs to a castle so high,
That from the tallest tower you could touch the sky.
On an island in an endless sea of sun.
The devil dances on the horizon.
@jett5511
Can u imagine james's screams and Jake's cleans?
@Osmarbadom97
James's highs and Jake's lows
@jorgealbertoninomartinez5881
P E R F E C T I O N
@Th3M4nuc9
but jake cant do the cleans on live, so...
@Sikasz
@ManuMusic but Jake's lows.... is fucking fire
@zenith9703
Metamorph be like
@rhdband
Saw these guys live. Beastly.
@KingGamergaming
holy hell. RHD.
@joshuagardner4098
Same dude they are honestly my favorite band to see live besides motionless but I saw both of them at warped 👌🏼
@xman10490
Just saw them yesterday, FUCKING KILLED IT!!! right up there with Chelsea Grin