Goodbye Horses

The chorus of this song is a reference to the Hindu text Bhagavad Gita, in which the five horses that pull Krishna and Pandava prince Arjuna's chariot, are symbols of the five senses. These five senses keep us tied to the physical/material plane of existence. When you can transcend the limitations of these senses and achieve a higher level of consciousness, you are leaving the "horses" behind - "flying over them." The song is about someone who was so affected by (A loss? A breakup?) they decide to give up the things that keep them tied to this world by emotion.

I was actually rocking out to this song when they played it in "Silence Of The Lambs" in '91. I became instantly attached to its dark gloominess, and had been searching for "Goodbye Horses" since. To me this song completely personifies the irony of "Dark Dance," a genre so called for its danceable but ultimately tragic / gloomy content. I'm sure many goths or other fans of this genre could recommend other bands or songs that have the same addicting qualities, so I'd appreciate your email if you do. Many people think I'm a freak for liking this song, obviously for its connection to Buffalo Bill and his heinous being. But I say - Oh no sire, I must say you're wrong...

I actually found a great link that explains the meaning of the song:

http://www.psyche-hq.de/goodbye-horses/

And for those of you still looking for the song, simply Google "Q Lazzarus Goodbye Horses" ...and you just might find what you're looking for.

As some have written, "horses" do symbolically represent the five senses. I believe the song describes the desperation that comes with discovering reality for what it truly is; a shattered sense of idealism and an embrace of mortality, and finally the kind of sadness that comes with letting go. The person who "tells them" the truth is a sort wise man that represents what one faces when confronted by stark reality. He says, "All things pass into the night", a phrase that could allude to both death and the ephemeral nature of all things in life. For example, the things you treasured or emotions you felt as a child will pass and you will not remember them; in a way, even in life, you will lose yourself or become disconnected from what you once were. Basically, there is nothing to hold onto and the singer must accept letting go. The singer's first reaction is "I must disagree... won't you listen to me?"; a desperate plea that loss is not inevitable as the singer attempts to hold on to innocence. Next the other individual says that they have "seen there hopes and dreams lying on the ground", and beyond that "seen the sky just begin to fall", which is a more apocalyptic vision of the loss of everything (one's life, one's entire sense of reality and self, etc...). In the end, the singer accepts this, and "goodbye horses" represents a kind of enlightenment, sort of discovering of what lies beyond the senses, which is a deeper and much more harsh truth. However, this is not a happy enlightenment. In desperation the singer recognizes mortality, loss, and the total uncertainty of reality. The singer is flying over the kind of grounded sense of life and self previously held, and has moved onto an entirely new, but much scarier and insecure sense of reality. This makes me think of a kind of tortured spirit or whirling through the air. So in affect the song is a huge nervous breakdown caused by the loss of innocence.

Someone I know wrote this essay. I thought it was an interesting take on the meaning of the lyrics. Love how it was used in both Silence of the Lambs and Clerks 2. Both excellent movies.

The song “Goodbye Horses” by Q Lazarus dramatizes the conflict between the speaker and his beliefs, which he begins to question. He holds a conversation with a “man” through the song as they discuss the significance of life. The man tells the speaker that “all things pass into the night” (4) to which the speaker responds “I must say you’re wrong” (6). “Night” could symbolize the end of a certain thing, and the man is telling the speaker that all things will end; they will cease to exist. The speaker disagrees with the man and by doing so, suggests that he believes there is more after death and it is not just a flat end. As the song progresses, the speaker seems to gradually realize that what the man is telling him may, in fact, be possible. This truth hits him quite heavily. The tone of the song has a dark quality. The music remains simple but strong as the speaker continues his struggle to accept the reality that the man is presenting him with. The singer’s voice is almost desperate as he sings “Won’t you listen to me” (7), as if he is not begging the man but is rather pleading with his own mind, trying to make himself believe there is a continuation after death. By the end of the song, he seems to grasp the concept he is being told but in a longing way. As he sings “Good-bye horses” (16) he slowly lets go of his previous mindset and allows himself to become painfully enlightened by his new acceptance. These emotions are expressed through an array of different types of figurative language used in the lyrics. The man, whom the speaker is conversing with, says “I’ve seen my hopes and dream/Are lying on the ground” (9, 10) which is an example of personification. Those hopes and dreams cannot literally be lying on the ground. He means they are no longer attainable. The lyricist also uses personification when writing “All things pass into the night” (4) to show that mortality is inescapable. Allusion is used to reference Eastern philosophy when the horses are discussed. Horses symbolize the five senses which tie us to our physical existence. The speaker, once he accepts his inevitable fate, sings “Good-bye Horses- I’m flying, flying, flying over you” (17) to show that, though reluctant to do so, he is able to appreciate his reality. This song demonstrates the difficulty of grasping an idea which goes against everything one may have thought was true. In this song’s situation, the speaker must wrap his head around the notion that there is no life after death. Though he wants to believe it is not true, he feels as though it is. He initially denies the idea of irrevocable and ultimate death but as time progresses he begins to feel the possible truth in the man’s words. This is demonstrated as the speaker sings “I’ve seen the sky just being to fall.” (11) Falling skies can be associated with getting hit on the head suddenly and that is basically what happens to the speaker. He experiences an epiphany, but again denies it when he repeats his previous line “I must disagree, oh no sir, I must say you’re wrong/ Won’t you listen to me” (14, 15) though under the circumstances in this stanza, his statement of objection isn’t as sincere as the first time he said it. Still though, the looming thought of a complete end haunts the speaker and he is finally convinced of its truth. While he sings “Good-bye horses” (16), he is letting his mind appreciate the freedom in drawing such a conclusion but also accepting the fear and insecurity that comes along with it. He is flying above and away from his previous thoughts while giving himself room to perceive new and foreign ideas.

Q Lazzarus is a woman? Didn't see that one coming. Well, here's what that website had to say.

In an Eastern philosophy "horses" are symbolic/representative of the 5 senses - the things that keep us tied to the physical/material plane of existence. When you can transcend the limitations of these senses and achieve a higher level of consciousness, you are leaving the "horses" behind - "flying over them." The song is about someone who was so affected by (A loss? A breakup?) they decide to give up the things that keep them tied to this world by emotion.

That's fucked. I love it.

I love this song, it's so awsome. It must have some deep meaning, but I don't feel like figuring it out. It seems very psychadelic. Maybe it's sort of about someone who feels enlightened, like they know the absolute truth.

I love this song; it's just too bad the whole world knows it from such a dark scene. And thanks R3robot for the info. The eastern philosophy bit about horses is interesting, but can anyone elaborate more on the dialogue?

"All things pass into the night." "Oh no, sir, I must say you're wrong."

Maybe the song is actually really positive despite the gothic, eerie tune. The narrator is arguing against what others display as cynicism. And in this is granted higher ascension.

The meaning: In an Eastern philosophy "horses" are symbolic/representative of the 5 senses - the things that keep us tied to the physical/material plane of existence. When you can transcend the limitations of these senses and achieve a higher level of consciousness, you are leaving the "horses" behind - "flying over them." The song is about someone who was so affected by (A loss? A breakup?) they decide to give up the things that keep them tied to this world by emotion.

I loved this song in GTA IV! I purposely turned any radio station to the classics just for this song in that game.

In Eastern Philosophy, horses are a symbolic representation of the 5 senses. These are the things that bind us to physical plane of existence. When you can go beyond the limitations of these senses, and achieve a higher level of consciousness, you are "leaving the horses behind". "Flying over them".