Pale White Horse
The Oh Hellos Lyrics
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Down they fell like the tower
As the land relinquished her ghost
Heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover
Flee the fire that devours
But the sight held me fixed
Like a bayonet against my throat
Neither plague or famine tempered my courage
Nor did raids make me cower
But his translucent skin
Made me shiver deep within my bones
It was a pale white horse
With a crooked smile
And I knew it was my time
It was the raging storm
Of a foreign war
And a face I'd seen before
The Oh Hellos's song Pale White Horse is a haunting and evocative narrative of the end of times. The lyrics paint a picture of a post-apocalyptic world where civilization as we know it has collapsed; a world where the fall of mankind is as inevitable as the fall of the Tower of Babel or the fall of Adam and Eve. The opening lines, "Down they fell like the children of Eden / Down they fell like the tower" poetically allude to these biblical references, crystalizing the song's theme right from the start.
The singer, in the midst of this chaos, is with their lover who urges them to flee from the danger. Despite the danger, the singer is transfixed by a looming presence - a pale white horse. The horse bears a "crooked smile", taking on a sinister quality that makes the singer shiver. The horse is often seen as a foreboding symbol of the apocalypse, and in this song, it signifies the singer's imminent demise. The chorus drops in with an ominous warning - "And I knew it was my time". This realization adds to the mournful tone of the song, creating a feeling of despair that is palpable.
As the lyrics continue, it becomes increasingly clear that the end times are not the result of any natural calamity or disease. Instead, it is the product of warfare setting up a foreboding imagery of conflict, war, and violence. The lines "It was the raging storm / Of a foreign war / And a face I'd seen before" suggest that the violence they now witness is not new to them. They may have witnessed violence before, but not of this magnitude. In the face of this inevitable fate, the singer is courageous, but their courage is no match for the ferocity of nature and the wrath of war.
Overall, Pale White Horse is a song that masterfully blends themes of apocalypse and end times with the emotions and struggles of humanity. It delivers an evocative and poetic narrative that appeals to one's senses, immersing the listener in a rich and troubling world.
Line by Line Meaning
Down they fell like the children of Eden
They fell from grace, like Adam and Eve cast out of paradise.
Down they fell like the tower
They fell like the Tower of Babel, a symbol of human arrogance and pride.
As the land relinquished her ghost
As the earth gave up its dead and was stripped of life, like a ghostly apparition.
Heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover
Listen to the warning signals, find safety, my love.
Flee the fire that devours
Run away from the flames that consume everything in their path.
But the sight held me fixed, like a bayonet against my throat
But the vision held me captive, like a sharp weapon aimed at my neck.
Neither plague or famine tempered my courage
I was not afraid in the face of disease or hunger.
Nor did raids make me cower
I did not back down from attacks or invasions.
But his translucent skin made me shiver deep within my bones
But his see-through skin gave me a chill that ran deep in my bones.
It was a pale white horse
There was a ghostly horse of death.
With a crooked smile
That had an eerie, wicked grin.
And I knew it was my time
And I knew my life was over, my time had come to an end.
It was the raging storm of a foreign war
It was the violent chaos of an overseas conflict.
And a face I'd seen before
And a familiar face, perhaps from memories or nightmares.
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.