Elverum uses the … Read Full Bio ↴Elverum sings about a bad breakup and its effects.
Elverum uses the story of the “headless horseman” as a metaphor for losing someone who was a big part of your life, which might feel like losing part of your body.
Headless Horsemen
The Microphones Lyrics
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And if you swing again I'll duck
And I wish you best of luck
You deserve yourself
And I return from my trip to hell
As a headless horseman
Oh what I lost
And it was tangled up and tough
I stood there and stared you down
And I walked aimlessly around
With a flaming pumpkin head
Oh what a loss
My soft hands replaced by claws
You turned me into a stray dog, from mighty human man
Oh what a loss
Oh what a loss
I miss my closest friend
And now I cling to rocks and wind
It's a precious thing we lost
In "Headless Horsemen," The Microphones' frontman Phil Elverum depicts a battle between two people with one person taking a hit that knocks them down while the other swings again, prompting the injured person to duck. Elverum tells the other person that they deserve themselves before describing his return from a trip to hell. He takes on the persona of a headless horseman, wandering aimlessly with a flaming pumpkin head. The song then shifts to Elverum lamenting what he lost, including his soft hands being replaced by claws and being turned into a stray dog. He misses his closest friend and now clings to rocks and wind, acknowledging the precious thing that they lost.
The lyrics of "Headless Horsemen" are open to interpretation, but they likely touch on ideas of loss, transformation, and the aftermath of a conflict. The headless horseman persona can be seen as a symbol of being lost and directionless. Elverum seems to be grappling with how to move forward after whatever conflict occurred, perhaps acknowledging that some things cannot be recovered.
Line by Line Meaning
I got hit hard, I'm on the ground
I've been hurt by you deeply, and I am unable to defend myself
And if you swing again I'll duck
If you hurt me again, I'll avoid confrontation with you
And I wish you best of luck
I hope that you're happy now and that things work out for you
You deserve yourself
You are only getting what you deserve
And I return from my trip to hell
I'm exhausted from the mental pain you've caused me
As a headless horseman
I am a ghost of what I once was, unable to think clearly and visualize things as they actually are
Oh what I lost
I've lost so much because of you
I went back to get my stuff
I didn't want to leave everything behind
And it was tangled up and tough
The memories of our past relationship were confusing and hard to untangle
I stood there and stared you down
I looked back on our memories and confronted you with my thoughts
And I walked aimlessly around
I'm aimless and lost, without direction or meaning caused by your actions
With a flaming pumpkin head
I look back angrily at the image of you causing me pain; seething in anger, albeit at a distance
My soft hands replaced by claws
I'm no longer comfortable in my own skin; my personality has devolved into something more akin to a feral canine
You turned me into a stray dog, from mighty human man
You took everything away from me and left me stranded and helpless like a dog on the street
I miss my closest friend
I miss the person I was before you took everything away from me
And now I cling to rocks and wind
I'm searching for any kind of comfort and stability I can find
It's a precious thing we lost
Our relationship was once valuable, but now it's empty and barren
Writer(s): PHILLIP ELVRUM
Contributed by Allison E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.