Our final series of animal song collections we turn our attention to the ‘Horse’, after which we shall take a break from animals to look at another song series.
“(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” is a song by Oasis from their 2008 album ‘Dig Out Your Soul’. This was written by Noel Gallagher, who also provides the vocals for this track. He told Q magazine October 2008: “The oldest song on the album, originally demoed for ‘Heathen Chemistry’. Wouldn’t have made the album, but the bass is so heavy, it forced its way onto the final cut.” In places it strongly resembles ‘High Heel Sneakers’ by Jose Feliciano.
“A Horse with No Name” is a song by the folk rock band America, written by Dewey Bunnell. It was the band’s first and most successful single, released in late 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the United States, that topped the charts in Canada, Finland, and the United States. It was certified gold by the RIAA. Despite the song being banned by some U.S. radio stations, in Kansas City and elsewhere, because of supposed drug references to heroin use (“horse” is a common slang term for heroin), the song ascended to number one on the U.S. Billboard, and the album quickly reached platinum status. The song charted earlier in Ireland (reaching number 4), the Netherlands (reaching number 11) and the UK (reaching number 3, the band’s only Top 40 hit in the country) than it did in the United States.
“All the Tired Horses” is a song written by Bob Dylan, released on his 1970 double album ‘Self Portrait’. The song is the first track on the album. It is most notable for its absence of Dylan’s singing. It consists of a small choir of female voices (Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart) repeating the same two lines ‘All the tired horses in the sun How’m I s’posed to get any ridin’ done? Hmm.‘ to the same melody for 3 minutes and 14 seconds, with varying instrumental accompaniment. In the key of C major, this song consists musically of the chord structure I-vi-iii-V, repeated throughout. This translates in the given key to C-Am-Em-G.
“American Horse” is a song by The Cult which first appeared on their ‘Sonic Temple’ in 1989. The Cult’s front man, Ian Astbury, explains the inspiration behind this song: “When I wrote ‘American Horse,’ I had an image in my mind of a black stallion with an American flag draped over his back, being whipped by some kind of dark figure. The horse and his mane have an eagle feather, and Indian beadwork, so I kinda took this to represent the American Indian nation.”
“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall from her 2004 debut album, ‘Eye to the Telescope’. It is one of many songs that reuses the famous Bo Diddley beat from the influential 1955 song of his own name. The track was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single from the album, charting at No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart the same month. The following year, the single became a hit outside Europe, reaching No. 7 in Canada and No. 20 in the United States and New Zealand. KT Tunstall said of the song: “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” tells the story of finding yourself lost on your path, and a choice has to be made. It’s about gambling, fate, listening to your heart, and having the strength to fight the darkness that’s always willing to carry you off.
