Beautiful Horses
The Blood Brothers Lyrics


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Ride! Ride! Ride the crippled horse.
Ride the broken mare.
Ride the jaundice buck.
Ride the dead Pegasus.

You're so fucked up, you're a fucking mess.
Ride the naseous horse.
Ride the broken mare.
Ride the bony nag.
Ride the tattered pony.

You're so fucked up, you're a fucking mess.

Manes in your mouth, hooves on your chest.
From the country club, girl. To the crypt now, girl.
Saddle up now, girl.

Climb into the television
stick your horrible nose into every sitcom.
Into the vile game show host's
cockpit mouth and down his throat.
Jump over jungles cooking in napalm.
Leap over nations shaved by carpet bombs.
Into the burning treasury and set the heart attack children free.
C'mon pony, deman your rights.
C'mon pony, demand your rights!

Prance into the halls of Congress, vomit into the speakers lap.
Gallop into your romance novels, dance atop heavy pectorals.

Ride! Ride!

You're so fucked up, you're a fucking mess.
Trash can saddle
ride in the show pony parade




and collapse
and come in fucking last.

Overall Meaning

The Blood Brothers' song "Beautiful Horses" is a striking and provocative piece. The song opens with the command to "ride" four different types of horses: the crippled, broken, jaundice, and dead Pegasus. These descriptions of the horses come across as brutal, but the repetition of the command to ride them suggests that they are still creatures that can be ridden, rather than mere objects to be dismissed. The song's chorus features the repeated refrain that "you're so fucked up, you're a fucking mess," which seems to address the listener or perhaps the singer. The verse then shifts to a more surreal and abstract imagery, as it invites the listener to "climb into the television" and to "jump over jungles cooking in napalm."


These images could suggest that the singer is attempting to escape the harsh reality of their life by retreating into a fantasy world. The final lines of the song contain the instructions to "prance into the halls of Congress" and "gallop into your romance novels." These lines may serve as a call to action to pursue a better life, rather than retreating into fantasy. The final line, "ride in the show pony parade and collapse and come in fucking last," suggests that even trying and failing is better than not trying at all. In total, the song may be seen as a meditation on trying to navigate through the harsh realities of life and seeking to make a better world, even if the efforts may sometimes fail.


Line by Line Meaning

Ride! Ride! Ride the crippled horse.
Encourages the listener to ride on despite the hardships and obstacles in their path.


Ride the broken mare.
Continue with determination even if things are not perfect or whole.


Ride the jaundice buck.
Ride even if you feel sick or unwell, don't let it stop you from moving forward.


Ride the dead Pegasus.
The mythical creature representing hope or inspiration may no longer be alive, but still ride with all the hope that it embodies.


You're so fucked up, you're a fucking mess.
Acknowledgement of the difficulties and struggles the listener may be facing in their life.


Ride the nauseous horse.
Ride despite feeling ill or uncomfortable.


Ride the bony nag.
Ride despite having an inadequate means of transportation.


Ride the tattered pony.
Ride even if the means of transportation is falling apart.


Manes in your mouth, hooves on your chest.
Vision of the listener riding horses so closely that they can feel the animals' manes and hooves on their body.


From the country club, girl. To the crypt now, girl.
Urges the listener to leave behind their privileged and protected life to seek out harder truths.


Saddle up now, girl.
Get ready to start your journey.


Climb into the television
Imagery of the listener entering the world of television for influence and inspiration.


stick your horrible nose into every sitcom.
Advice to be curious and investigate all forms of media and entertainment.


Into the vile game show host's cockpit mouth and down his throat.
Use all forms of media and exploit situations for insight and clarity.


Jump over jungles cooking in napalm.
Symbolic representation of the listener overcoming challenges and obstacles in the world.


Leap over nations shaved by carpet bombs.
Imagery of the listener escaping from the destruction and devastation of war zones.


Into the burning treasury and set the heart attack children free.
Encouragement to take action to help others who are less fortunate.


C'mon pony, demand your rights.
Demanding one's rights and that of others in a call to action.


Prance into the halls of Congress, vomit into the speakers lap.
Sense of rebellion and standing up to authority.


Gallop into your romance novels, dance atop heavy pectorals.
Embrace love and passion, while still acknowledging the need for strength and action.


Trash can saddle
Riding even with inadequate equipment or resources.


ride in the show pony parade
Embrace competition and struggle, even if it's just for show.


and collapse
Acknowledging the possibility of failure.


and come in fucking last.
Acknowledge that failure is still worth it, as long as you tried your best.


Ride! Ride!
Call to action, and to believe and stay committed to one's goals.


You're so fucked up, you're a fucking mess.
Repetition of an earlier sentiment, acknowledging the difficulties faced by the listener.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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