Horse Latitudes

its a comparison between what they would do to horses in the 1800's when the ships were to heavy and the problems with the politcal war part of society when jim was in high school....

it probably one of my favorite tracks on strange days...i dont think its scary at all...its one of those "hidden plea" songs that jim does and know one ever notices...

true art

It ain't about heroin,It just a poem that he wrote in high school.he show the guys in the bad and they used it in the album cause they like it and it fit the album,some of the songs in there albums where song poems

This was written when Morrison was in high school. He likens young adolescents' sexual frustrations to being becalmed in an ocean while not having enough drinkable water.

Many have said the song is about losing one's virginity, but I think the imagery of jettisoning live cargo is more likely about masturbation. The loss of virginity comes in the next cut --

Pairing this song with Moonlight Drive was brilliant. The water metaphor is continued, and our thirst-wracked fellow isn't just going to take a drink, he's going to drown himself.

I remember something from an interview with Jim Morrison, about the Spanish Armada & the Storm that sunk most of the Invading fleet of War ships that were attacking England during the early reign of Elizabeth the 1st by Philip King of Spain. The plight of the Horses in the midst of all that Chaos & disorder. then only to be thrown into the sea to drown. Soon after, to be followed by the Spaniards themselves...This poem/song always gives me a chill weather I hear it in song or read it as poetry.

These lyrics reflect where Jim Morrison's mind could go. He was an intellectual whose mind was mesmerized by the classics. He was an incredible artist who lived a brief but full life. He wanted to be remembered as a poet, and was buried in poet's corner of Pere lachaise in Paris. I believe that these lyrics are a snapshot of Jim's mind, dramatic, daring, and sometimes frightening.

This has to be the oddest song I've ever heard

horse lattitudes was written by jim in high school. it is about a merchant ship that for some reason has to jettison cargo to lighten up the ship.. the first thing they throw over is the horses...

Back in the 1800's when the ships got in to the horse lattitudes which is inbetween the tropics there is very little wind and it is very hot. So the ships would throw the heaviest item overboard. Horses were one of them and Morrison probably picked that because of some deeper meaning with war or such because they are mammals and we can relate to horses on that level.

Actually most of the first part was written by Nostradamus (amazing guy), published in his prophecy book, Centuries. This is what Nostradamus wrote:

When the still sea conspires an armor, and her sullen and aborted currents breed tiny monsters, true sailing is dead! Awkward instant and the first animal is jettisoned.

So maybe Jim put some new meaning to it, or maybe Nostradamus really was talking about horse latitudes. Any way this song scares the hell out of me and I have to skip it every time I listen to my Strange Days album.

Also if you don't know what horse latitudes are they are as TheShill said, very little wind so you can't sail ("True sailing is dead") so they had to get rid of their heaviest cargo: horses. It truly is a scary thought, think of a horse in the middle of the ocean just gasping for breath and drowning...Night everyone thanks for reading my input.

This is the scariest song I've ever heard. I tried to play it for my friend and he turned it off after the first two lines and just said "thanks but I'd rather not be posessed by Satan today."