Pale Horse

This track is generally interpreted as a reflection on the feeling of being overwhelmed by negativity and the potential for self-destruction. The "pale horse" likely references to the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, representing death and pestilence, and the song explores themes of being consumed by darkness and struggling to escape its grasp. (The Pale Horse as a Symbol: In the Book of Revelation, the Pale Horse is ridden by Death and followed by Hades, symbolizing destruction and decay. This imagery is central to the song's atmosphere and lyrical content.)

Like most Chevelle songs, this one is about a relationship.

The Pale Horse is the trauma that is unhealed from the past. That trauma is seeping into the relationship, and the other half of that relationship has repeatedly gotten on “the Pale Horse” and rode that horse into arguments.

The trauma of the person riding the “Pale Horse” rears its head when the other half of the relationship needs support. There is always some reason that the “Pale Horse” rider cannot accept the present, and always pulls the past into the forefront to protect themselves from further trauma.

This erodes the trust and meaning of the relationship, and doesn’t allow for growth or healing. Chevelle is pointing the finger at the “Pale Horse” for the problem in the relationship.

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist that famously wrote the book called, “The Selfish Gene” in 1976.

[Edit: Add Dawkins]