Henry Olmino, Jeronimo Gomez and Mathew Crum had played together in As Friends Rust for the first demo. The band soon broke up, and they moved on to Red Letter Day in which they oriented towards the indie rock sound.
After some years of playing together, the band recruited Jolie Lindholm from their college, and called themselves "The Rocking Horse Winner" after a short story by D. H. Lawrence. The band was quickly signed after making a split demo.
Their first album State of Feeling Concentration came out on Ohev Records in 2001. It was recognized among the underground and indie scene, and got the band to start touring.
The band moved on to Equal Vision Records for their last album, during a period where the label was signing less heavy bands. This would be the last of the band, and each member moved onto self projects.
From Wikipedia
...
"Offering a sound similar to the classic Sundays/Blake Babies era of female-fronted alternative rock, Rocking Horse Winner first appeared in 2002 with the debut album Horizon. Finding a spot on the Warped Tour and guesting on the first Dashboard Confessional album, the band stepped into the studio with producer James Paul Wisner to record the album in the winter of 2001 for a spring release the following year." - Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
Atmosphere
The Rocking Horse Winner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At thirty thousand feet
We swayed from our three seats
'cause soon we'll be buzzing into the fire
I could feel us flying with every note
The memories of a precious time
To be somewhere
But I just can't control the tears
One more time
We walked out onto your front lawn
Set three legs aside
Looked into the glass and caught the light shining into my eyes
I could feel me flying so high above the sky
The memories of a precious time
To be somewhere
In a distant atmosphere
But I just can't control the tears
One more time we'll meet
I know we will
We'll meet someday
Somewhere up high in the hills
Time to exit now
You didn't know me and I didn't know you well
The Rocking Horse Winner's song "Atmosphere" is a beautiful and poignant reflection on the memories of a precious time that can never be recaptured. The opening lines describe the experience of looking out of a plane window at thirty thousand feet and feeling the rush of movement and emotion that comes with being so high above the earth. The soaring energy of the music perfectly captures the sense of flying with every note, a feeling that is both exhilarating and deeply emotional.
As the song progresses, the lyrics speak to the bittersweet quality of memories that can never be fully recaptured. The singer longs to be somewhere in a distant atmosphere, but cannot control the tears that come as they reflect on the past. The second stanza continues this theme, describing a moment of reflection on a front lawn as the singer looks into the glass and catches the light shining into their eyes. Despite the beauty of the moment and the sense of flying so high above the sky, there is a sadness that runs through it all.
Ultimately, the song is a tribute to the power of memory, and the ways in which our experiences can shape and define us even as they slip further away. As the singer looks forward to the promise of meeting again someday in the hills, the final lines acknowledge the transient nature of connections between people: "Time to exit now / You didn't know me and I didn't know you well." In this way, the song speaks to the universal themes of loss, love, and the power of memory to sustain us even as we move forward into the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
We looked outside the other day
Reflecting on a past moment when they gazes out in awe
At thirty thousand feet
Recalling the specific altitude they were flying at when this occurred
We swayed from our three seats
Describing the feeling of motion and excitement during the flight
'cause soon we'll be buzzing into the fire
Anticipation of embarking on an exciting adventure
I could feel us flying with every note
Using music to transport them back to that moment of flying
The memories of a precious time
Recalling an important and sentimental experience
To be somewhere
Expressing a desire to escape current reality
In a distant atmosphere
Longing for the feeling of being free and above everything
But I just can't control the tears
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions and nostalgia
One more time
Wishing to relive the moment again
We walked out onto your front lawn
Moving on from the previous memory to a new one
Set three legs aside
Preparing to sit down and relax
Looked into the glass and caught the light shining into my eyes
Enjoying the beauty of the sun's light refracting through a glass
I could feel me flying so high above the sky
Feeling free and weightless, like they're soaring in the sky
One more time we'll meet
Looking forward to a future moment when they can experience this again
I know we will
Feeling certain that they'll meet again
We'll meet someday
Holding onto hope for the future, where they can revisit these memories
Somewhere up high in the hills
Imagining a beautiful location where they can experience the same sensations and emotions
Time to exit now
The present moment has arrived and it's time to move on
You didn't know me and I didn't know you well
Reflecting on how brief connections and interactions can still hold important memories and emotions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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