1) Red Horse is the Pr… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Red Horse is the Providence/Boston-based blistering free-post-everything project of drummer/multi-percussionist Eli Keszler and guitarist/mad-scientist Steve Pyne. While both musicians are active in a number of different projects, Red Horse catches them working with a distilled sense of focus and is for many their breakthrough project.
Garnishing Keszler’s well-worn patented hyperactive splatter-beats, Pyne experiments with a veritable arsenal of home made equipment – from gargantuan electrified, automated string sculptures to confusing sequences of reclaimed speakers (taken from a very well known Eastern-themed music box) wired together creating a wall of screaming feedback. In the wrong hands their sound could easily be stuffy and academic, but Red Horse inject their experiments with a punk spirit rarely heard in the avant garde.
2) Red Horse is a collaboration by independent folk singer-songwriters Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky. It is both the name of the studio album released by the trio on Red House Records in July 2010 and the name under which they have toured and performed in concert together as a folk / Americana supergroup.
Scorpion
Red Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No whispers, no worries, no words
Just light fills the corner of your eye
Take me in, take me in
Cold sky, dark Montana, long road
Running fence, radio, trucks blow by
Take me back, take me back
I want to show you everything, everything
I want to give you everything, everything
There’s a chance now and then, now and then
No more cut and run, No more cut and run
Blue night, blue world, tracking you
I’m a scorpion and I’m coming after you
Running out of darkness and time
Looking for you, looking for you
Gonna sting you with a kiss from my lips
Gonna sting you with a piece of my mind
Gonna sting you with a taste of my skin
Then you’re mine, then you’re mine
repeat
In "Scorpion," Red Horse paints a vivid picture of a nighttime landscape in Montana, with the singer feeling a sense of isolation within it. The first stanza sets the scene - it's dark and quiet, with just a small light source to draw attention. The repeated plea "take me in" suggests a yearning for connection or belonging. The second stanza describes a long and lonely road, with trucks passing by and the singer's mind filled with big dreams ("up high") while lacking tangible resources (no air). The refrain repeats the same yearning for completeness and willingness to commit to someone (no more cut and run). In the final stanza, the singer is depicted as a scorpion pursuing someone they desire, using their kiss ("sting you with a kiss from my lips") and their personality ("sting you with a piece of my mind") to achieve their aim. The final lines imply that once the scorpion speaker has what they want, they will have complete control over the other person.
Overall, "Scorpion" reads as a song about loneliness and the yearning for connection. The singer is depicted as both vulnerable and predatory, wanting to find someone to complete them but also using their own traits to get what they want. The song plays with light and dark imagery - the small light in the first stanza, the darkness of Montana, and finally the blue night where the singer stalks their prey.
Line by Line Meaning
In night, inside, at night
The singer is in a dark and quiet indoor setting at night.
No whispers, no worries, no words
There is complete silence and no cause for concern.
Just light fills the corner of your eye
There is a small bit of light visible in the darkness.
Take me in, take me in
The artist wants to be welcomed into this peaceful setting.
Cold sky, dark Montana, long road
The scene changes to a dark and chilly outdoors setting in Montana with a lengthy road.
Running fence, radio, trucks blow by
The singer hears a fence being run alongside, as well as the noise of passing trucks and an audible radio.
Up high, no air, big dreams
Despite being at a high altitude without much air, the singer has ambitious aspirations.
Take me back, take me back
The artist nostalgically wishes to go back to a more peaceful time.
I want to show you everything, everything
The artist wants to reveal and share everything they possess and know with the person they are addressing.
I want to give you everything, everything
The artist wants to give everything they have, including their love and possessions, to the person they are addressing.
There’s a chance now and then, now and then
Occasionally, there may be an opportunity for something.
No more cut and run, No more cut and run
The artist does not want anyone to leave without notice or explanation anymore.
Blue night, blue world, tracking you
The singer sees everything in shades of blue and is following the person they're addressing.
I’m a scorpion and I’m coming after you
The singer compares themselves to a scorpion, suggesting a desire to sting or attack the person they're addressing.
Running out of darkness and time
The singer is running out of time to achieve their objectives and is in a dark and uncertain situation.
Looking for you, looking for you
The artist is actively searching for the person they're addressing.
Gonna sting you with a kiss from my lips
The artist plans to harm the person they're addressing with a seemingly loving or affectionate gesture.
Gonna sting you with a piece of my mind
The singer plans to harm the person they're addressing with their thoughts and opinions.
Gonna sting you with a taste of my skin
The singer plans to harm the person they're addressing by exposing them to their touch or physical presence.
Then you’re mine, then you’re mine
Once the artist has accomplished their goals, they will possess the person they're addressing.
Contributed by Adeline N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.