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“11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Horses” features music by Bruce Springsteen, DaBaby, Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry & Rae Sremmurd. 

“I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name” or so America sings on their 1972 escapist hit, “A Horse with No Name.” Nearly 25 years later, on his 1996 R&B classic, “Pony” (Ginuwine… the Bachelor), Ginuwine sings, in the most sensual fashion possible, “If you’re horny, let’s do it, ride it, my pony / My saddle’s waitin’, come and jump on it.” 12 years later, according to Grammy-winning pop sensation Taylor Swift on “White Horse” (Fearless, 2008), “I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet, lead her up to the stairwell / … Now it’s too late for you and your white horse / To come around.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah – we’ve done these ‘shout-out’ songs before where we decided NOT to write full-fledged blurbs about for whatever reason (laziness, lethargy…). And every time it happens, we make the keyword or concept blatantly obvious – can you say dumbing things TF down?  Here, the keyword is horses because all 11 songs on 11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Horses are about horses – DUH! Musicians providing the soundtrack on this thoroughbred-loving affair include Bruce Springsteen (“Chasin’ Wild Horses”), DaBaby (“Pony”), Kacey Musgraves (“High Horse”), Katy Perry (“Dark Horse”), and Rae Sremmurd (“Perplexing Pegasus”). Without further ado, prepare to ride!!!

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1. Bruce Springsteen, “Chasin’ Wild Horses”

Western Stars • Columbia • 2019

“Guess it was somethin’ I shouldn’t have done / Guess I regret it now / Ever since I was a kid / Tryin’ to keep my temper down is like / Chasin’ wild horses…” After a five-year hiatus, American rock icon Bruce Springsteen returned with Western Stars, easily his best album of the 2010s. After releasing more of a ‘compilation studio album’ of sorts with High Hopes in 2014, Springsteen comes in with some awesome, brand-new material on Western Stars.  He doesn’t reinvent the wheel on this Western-tinged conceptual affair, but he reminds us why he’s among the greatest rock musicians to ever grace the earth.

“Chasin’ Wild Horses” is the longest song on Western Stars, the sole record that extends beyond five minutes. Regardless, ‘The Boss’ continues to flex as any boss should, backed by the likes of pedal steel and breathtaking, soaring strings.  Nothing ‘brand-new’ comes of “Chasin’ Wild Horses,” but that’s quite alright. He can’t keep her off of his mind throughout the course of the song:

“You come rollin’ ‘cross my mind
Your hair flashin’ in the blue
Like wild horses, just like wild horses
Just like wild horses
...The only thing up here I’ve found
Is tryin’ to get you off my mind
Chasin’ wild horses, chasin’ wild horses.”

2. DaBaby, “Pony”

Baby on Baby • Interscope • 2019

“All my hoes freaks, yeah, she ride D / Yeah, like a goddamn pony (yeah, yeah).” There are plenty of rappers with ‘Baby’ in there names these days.  Honestly, it’s gets a bit hard to keep up with, particularly if you grew up with what’s now considered an ‘older generation’ of rappers. Nonetheless, the ‘Baby’ rapper that is highlighted on 11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Horses is North Carolina rapper DaBaby, who’s experienced success with the single, “Suge”. Of course, “Suge” has nothing to do with horses, so we opt for another song from his 2019 debut LP (Baby on Baby), “Pony.’

Unsurprisingly, DaBaby takes a sexual approach on “Pony” as exemplified above.  This is not about a legitimate pony by any means – we’re talking about a different sort of horsepower here! He doesn’t merely stop with that instance on the chorus, feeling his sexual prowess throughout the verses. On the first verse, he raps, “He say he need some more stamina (Uh-huh) / His bitch fuckin’ with me, he can’t handle her (Yee).”  That pretty much sums up his confidence, cockiness, and really the clout that he feels he possesses.  Later, he adds:

“Your ho like how we dress, we get jiggy
I’m not with all the talkin’, I’m with it
Leave a mark on your ho, send her home with a hickey
Fucked around and went home smellin’ like your lil main ho perfume…”

It’s not all sex; DaBaby’s ‘drip’ also includes money. A perfect example of this occurs on the second verse where then ‘come-up’ is real:

“I ain’t have to make a play in so long, I don’t even got a scale
And I forgot how much a pound weigh (Uh-huh)
Brand-new car, 2019, had 57 miles (Vroom)
Had to put it on the highway, Scat Pack (Skrrrt).”

3. Kacey Musgraves, “High Horse”

Golden Hour • MCA Nashville • 2018

Addressing the elephant in the room – is “High Horse” really a country song?  While Grammy-winning country musician Kacey Musgraves has a dash of country sensibility vocally, and the production has some subtle country cues and instrumentation, “High Horse” owes a lot to old-school dance and soul.  Maybe some traditionalists won’t be as ‘uplifted’ by how Musgraves exhibits country’s blurred lines here. More open-minded listeners should find the ambiguous nature of “High Horse” more endearing.

Regardless, Musgraves still musters up a good narrative that is fitting for the country fans.  “High Horse” is among the highlights from Golden Hour, which won the prestigious, highly-coved Grammy award for Album of the Year. The premise of “High Horse”? Well, it’s all about someone who thinks they’re “the stuff”.

“‘Cause everyone knows someone who kills the buzz
Every time they open up their mouth
Yeah, everyone knows someone who knows someone
Who thinks they're cooler than everybody else…
And I think we’ve seen enough, seen enough
To know that you ain’t ever gonna come down
So why don’t you giddy up, giddy up
And ride straight out of this town
You and your high horse...” 

“High Horse” previously appeared on the playlist 14 Songs Sure to Lift You Higher.

4. Devin Dawson, “Dark Horse”

Dark Horse • Warner Music Nashville • 2018

“No, I ain’t no white knight / I’m a little more / Dark horse.” “Dark Horse” serves as the title track and concluding number from Dark Horse, the 2018 debut album from California country musician Devin Dawson. What stands out about “Dark Horse” is the honesty of the songwriting and openness of Dawson himself.

Just as the aforementioned lyrics and title suggest, Dawson sees himself as a dark horse.

“No, I don’t go to church, can't quote a bible verse
I couldn’t sing a song but that don’t mean that I don’t talk to Jesus
Girls say I push them off, that I can’t open up
But I ain’t afraid of love, when I say it, I just want to mean it.”

“Dark Horse” has previously appeared on playlists 18 Light and Dark Songs, In Three Phases and Recapping 40 Stunning Ballads from 2018.

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5. Bishop Briggs, “Wild Horses”

Church of Scars • Teleport • 2018

“So I’ll keep on damning the devil / And you’ll keep on saying it’s all right / Oh glory, I’m a believer / Oh Lord, I’m holding tight, but…” “Wild Horses” arrives on Church of Scars as a reprisal from British-American alternative singer Bishop Briggs’ 2017 EP. Briggs definitely steps up her game on this ‘wild’ gem. Like most of her debut album, she’s more poised on the verses, while she ‘unleashes the beast’ on the chorus.

The instrumental plays a significant role on the chorus section, much like an EDM cut.

“Wild horses, wild horses
Wild horses, run faster
Run faster, run faster
Wild horses run faster
Run faster, run faster.”

“Wild Horses” previously appeared on the playlists 12 Incredibly ‘Wild’ Songs and 11 Songs to Channel Your Inner Animal.

6. Rae Sremmurd, “Perplexing Pegasus”

SR3MM • Interscope • 2018

Rae Sremmurd had a big year in 2017 with “Black Beatles”, giving the duo their first no. 1 hit.  Honestly, the record sort of revived Sremmlife 2, which seemed as if it wouldn’t perform well on the charts.  In 2017, in advance of their 2018 triple album (SR3MM), Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi returned with the most perplexing “Perplexing Pegasus”. 

If something is perplexing, it’s puzzling or confusing.  Pegasus, on the other hand, is a famous flying horse from Greek Mythology.  Put the two together, and Rae Sremmurd have a confusing flying horse.  That makes no sense, but the chorus makes the listener make the assumption Pegasus is a sick, foreign ride that Rae Sremmurd flex, along with the other material things. It should be noted that Pegasus Auto House sells foreign cars…

“Jump in the Pegasus
All kinda reckless the necklace
All kinda reckless I flexed it
K-keep the change, yeah you heard me correctly
If she sleek and foreign, call her Lexus
Every week a foreign, I just check her wishlist
Only think I’m here for is perplexin’
Caterpillar whip and I lowered it.”

Read into “Perplexing Pegasus,” and ultimately, it’s all flex.  Slim Jxmmi is concerned about women, weed, and money on the first verse.  Swae, who handles the aforementioned chorus, and the second verse, continues the flex fest, referencing an Aston Martin and the Pegasus once more.

“Niggas cannot stop me, told ‘em just to face it
Aston sittin’ low (lower), damn I scraped it
She like, ‘spread your wings, ‘cause it’s the Pegasus,’ I’m like, ‘I might go and take the spot, because of negligence.’” 

7. Snow Patrol, “Wild Horses”

Wildness • Polydor • 2018

“What are you holding back / I know you’ve wild horses on the inside of you.”  Sigh, Snow Patrol was built for two previous lists (12 Incredibly ‘Wild’ Songs and 11 Songs to Channel Your Inner Animal), as well as this horse-centric compilation. “Wild Horses” arrives as the fourth track off of their 2018 album, Wildness.

The veteran North Irish band is a perfect fit, as the energetic “Wild Horses” finds frontman Gary Lightbody in ‘encouragement mode’ regarding love.

“Just keep your wits about you, don’t let it end you
And summon everything you’ve held up in reserve
Don’t fall for every single stolen glance and wink
Try to keep your heart on higher shelves for once.” 

8. Mansionz, “I’m thinking about horses”

Mansionz • Island • 2017

Mansionz, formed in 2016, is comprised of Mike Posner and blackbear. On their ambitious, 2017 debut album, Mansionz, the eclectic duo releases music encompassing hip-hop, pop, and R&B.  One horse-centric number is perfectly suited for this playlist.  That would be the epic “I’m thinking about horses.” That said, the record actually has NOTHING to do with horses… oops!

On “I’m thinking about horses,” Mike Posner is in full-fledged reflective mode, speaking about God, love, sex, and death.  A poem as opposed to a vocal performance or rap, Posner questions life itself.  The best lyrical moment is arguably his Vincent van Gogh reference: “But people want an ending, they want a crash / They want an ear in the fucking mail / I don’t have one.” Just to reiterate, “I’m thinking about horses” has NOTHING to do with horses. It’s about the mind of Mike Posner.  Honestly, his reflections are quite relatable, even if they are incredibly random.

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9. Huntar, “Pony”

Ft. Gucci Mane

Your Favourite Worst Mistake • Glassnote • 2017

“If you’re horny, let’s do it, ride it, my pony / My saddle’s waitin’, come and jump on it.” If those lyrics sound familiar, that is because they are key lyrics from the aforementioned  Ginuwine hit, “Pony.” If you hadn’t already put ‘two and two together,’ pop musician Huntar covers the 90s R&B gem on his 2017 album, Your Favourite Worse Mistake. Huntar infuses his own personality into the cut, making it sound late 2010s as opposed to late 1990s. Perhaps the biggest contrast compared to the original other than the ‘rework’ is the addition of rapper, Gucci Mane.

“I’m in a drop top ‘Rari with a horse on it / You know that this the heat, you hear my voice on it / The Rollie on my wrist, it cost a Porsche, don’t it?” Yup, that is signature, hard-flexing from the mush-mouthed southern rapper.  Later, he adds even more game, asserting, “And baby, you can call me, but only when you’re horny / Pull up in the evening, then fuck you ’til the morning / And we don’t need no reason, just call me when you need me / I’m the King, don’t play for Cleveland.” There’s more, including a suspect reference to sex during ‘her time of the month,’ but at this point, the song seems to have drifted a long way from horses of any sort… well, sort of… 

10. Ty Dolla $ign, “Horses in the Stable”

Free TC • Atlantic • 2016

Objectifying women is nothing new to urban music – it’s been happening for years now.  Ty Dolla $ign does just that on “Horse in the Stable” (Free TC) in shameful fashion.  Guess who the “horses” are that Ty Dolla $ign references? Women. Ty Dolla $ign comes off as your typical, confident and cocky artist, naming off women throughout the course of “Horses in the Stable” who he can bed.  “I told her give me something good I might come back / I snap my finger they be on me just like that,” he sings, before the cringe-worthy, if honest chorus, “Horses in the stable, horses in the stable / That I can ride, ooh anytime.”

Most of the time, Ty Dolla $ign can’t resist – that’s really the best way to put it.  On the second verse, when referencing “Nicki,” he describes her ‘goods.’  To his credit on this song chocked-full of empty hook ups, at least he admits he’s a dog: “They know the way that I’m living ain’t right / You just another girl and this is just another night.” Of course, he later contradicts himself, singing, “She said she lookin’ for a real one / I told her that she found a real one.” Hmm…

11. Katy Perry, “Dark Horse”

Ft. Juicy J

Prism • Capitol • 2013

More often than not, Katy Perry avoided ‘going stupid’ on her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). That isn’t to say that Perry didn’t have her share of fun, but she definitely didn’t ‘do a repeat’ of her 2010 album, Teenage Dream. One of the best moments from Prism arrives via no. 1 hit single “Dark Horse” featuring Juicy J.

“Dark Horse” provides a spark to Prism upon its arrival.  Juicy J is a perfect fit on this hip-hop oriented pop cut which sports one sick trap beat.  The chorus definitely latches:

“So you wanna play with magic?
Boy, you should know what you’re falling for
Baby, do you dare to do this?
Cause I’m coming at you like a dark horse…”

Second verse vocal harmonization make the deal sweeter, while Juicy J’s lines such as “Uh, she’s a beast / I call her Karma / she eat your heart out / like Jeffrey Dahmer…” seal the deal.  “Dark Horse” ‘roars’ nearly as much as “Roar” itself.

[Photo Credits: Capitol, Columbia, Glassnote, Interscope, Island, MCA Nashville, Pixabay, Polydor, Teleport, Warner Music Nashville]

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