The Dead Weather is an alternative rock band that formed in Nashville, Tenn… Read Full Bio ↴The Dead Weather is an alternative rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States in 2009. They consist of Alison Mosshart (vocals, guitar), Dean Fertita (guitar, organ), Jack Lawrence (bass, drums) and Jack White (drums, vocals, guitar).

All members of the band are from other, well known alternative rock groups. Mosshart is a member of The Kills, Fertita is a member of Queens of the Stone Age, Lawrence is a member of The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs and White was a member of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs.

White produced their album, Horehound, which was released in the US on July 14th 2009. The album was recorded in three weeks at White's own Third Man Studio in Nashville. This group sparks particular interest because Jack White, well known for guitar skills, played drums with this band.. White’s last booking as a drummer was with the Detroit punk outfit Goober and the Peas, aged 19.

No Horse
The Dead Weather Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I ain't got no horse
I ain't got no horizon
Just the scars on my eyes
I swear I got from crying

Where I was born it don't matter
There ain't no going back
I have no home to take you

I never dream like that

Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself
Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself
Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself
And I think, what the hell, hell, hell

I don't want you to like me
There's no way that you can
I don't want you to touch me, honey
I am just so mad

There ain't no kind of feeling
All my, are, out
I'm just living and breathing
For what I steal for (from?) myself

Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself
Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself

Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself
And I think, what the hell, hell, hell

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Dead Weather's song "No Horse" speak to a sense of disillusionment and isolation. The line "I ain't got no horse" suggests a lack of direction or the means to move forward, while "I ain't got no horizon" implies a lack of hope or optimism. The scars on the singer's eyes suggest emotional pain and a history of suffering. The reference to crying further underscores a sense of sadness and despair.

The idea of where the singer was born not mattering and there being no going back implies a sense of detachment or distance from their past. They have no home to take someone to, no dreams to share. This is compounded by the repetition of the line "Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself" which suggests a sense of boredom or emptiness. The phrase "what the hell, hell, hell" further reinforces this sense of frustration and despair.

The lyrics also touch on a desire for disconnection. The singer doesn't want to be liked or touched, indicating a preference for solitude. The line "there ain't no kind of feeling" suggests a numbness or lack of emotion. The final line, "I'm just living and breathing for what I steal from myself" further emphasizes this idea of isolation and self-deprivation.

Line by Line Meaning

I ain't got no horse
I don't have anything of my own and I feel lost

I ain't got no horizon
I have no direction or purpose in life

Just the scars on my eyes
I have been through a lot of pain and trauma which has left me with visible signs of it

I swear I got from crying
The pain has caused me to cry a lot

Where I was born it don't matter
My past doesn't define me and it's not important

There ain't no going back
I can't change the past and I have to move forward

I have no home to take you
I don't have a stable life to offer you

I never dream like that
I don't have the luxury to dream of a better future

Sit & watch my cigarette smoking on itself
I'm just wasting time and watching my cigarette burn out

And I think, what the hell, hell, hell
I'm frustrated and feeling hopeless

I don't want you to like me
I don't need your approval or validation